Her Sensei's Family
by LadyLady1994
Summary: He hit her with his car, only to discover that she had been living with his family with her son for the last nine months. His imouto calls it 'fate'. He calls it a bloody nuisance. Then there's the fact that she's in his English class. ON HIATUS
1. You hit me with a car

Okay, so I know that this means I currently have four stories that I am writing, and I have my exams this week, but I couldn't help myself. When the plot bunnies bite, they bite hard, and it wouldn't leave me alone! So I had to write it! I had no choice! Hehe...

And the description of the Kurosaki-lin is not the actual layout, just the way I think it could be set.

**Enjoy :P**

**Glossary**  
Haha - Mother  
Kurosaki-lin - Kurosaki Clinic  
Dokuta - Doctor  
Ara - Oh  
Gomen - Sorry  
Yoshii - Alright?  
Arigatou - Thank You  
Joji - baby girl  
Kawaii - cute

* * *

**Her Sensei's Family**

She carried her small child, struggling to hold onto both the toddlers struggling form, and her shopping bags. "Please, Shiro-chan, stop wriggling," Rukia pleaded with her son, the black haired child fighting her hold, kicking the shopping bags with his small, Wellington clad feet. The rain hammered down on them, and Rukia shivered. It fell mercilessly in thick sheets, and Rukia wished she hadn't had to go out in the weather, but it had been urgent. They had run out of food, and she had to feed her son. He was only fourteen months old and he needed the right food to help him grow.

That, and Urahara had insisted she come down to the Shoten/Cafe in order to work her shift. Even though she didn't have a babysitter yet. _Bastard..._

Rukia grit her teeth, when her son moved again, kicking the bag. Her violet eyes widened when the bag began to slit, and her packets of noodles and vegetables spilled out onto the side walk. Shiro's own grey eyes blinked down at the now loose groceries.

"Kami! Shiro, please, stop moving!" Rukia frustratedly snapped, and the boy sniffed, before his face began to scrunch up. Rukia closed her eyes, taking a deep breath as he began to wail loudly, and she set him on his feet as she bent to collect her spilt groceries. Shiro cried loudly, not used to his mother raising her voice at him.

"Shiro... just be quiet... please..." she pleaded, as she knelt on the soaking floor, her knees wet and bare against the asphalt. The rain slipped down the back of her vibrant pink bunny raincoat, drenching the light blue dress she wore underneath. It slipped into her boots, pooling at the toes of the pink, bunny covered Wellingtons. Shiro didn't heed her pleas, continuing to cry loudly, rubbing his small hands into his eyes. Rukia buried her face in her hands, and then took a deep breath, gathering up the spilt, ruined vegetables and noodles, and placing them in the bag that hadn't been torn. Shiro had quietened, while she did this, and she turned to look at him to apologize, only to nearly scream when she noticed he had vanished.

"SHIRO!" she shouted, panic reaching every part of her, gripping her heart. She shot up, looking around horrified, as she saw the yellow blur of his raincoat running away from her, straight into the road.

"Shiro! No! Stay out of the road!" she screeched, racing after him, fear filling her as she saw the approaching lights of a car through the rain. The eighteen year old girl's eyes became like saucers, as she realized that it wasn't slowing down.

The driver couldn't see Shiro.

Shiro had stopped in the road, looking as the bright lights came rapidly towards him. He looked over at his Okaa-san, a big smile on his face. "Car!" he said happily, only to scream when Rukia suddenly dove at him, twisting herself so she got the main brunt of the cars hit. The driver cursed, and swerved, clipping her shoulder with the cars bumper, barely missing hitting her completely. Rukia curled around Shiro, sobbing as she rocked the now petrified toddler, who had started crying again.

"Haha!"

Rukia's right shoulder hurt terribly, she could feel it was dislocated. She was going to have to go to the hospital. She had no choice. If she didn't the damage would be so much worse. She heard the driver of the car getting out, and looked up to see terrified amber eyes, and bright orange hair that was quickly dampening in the rain. He rushed over to them, worry etched onto his features, scowling unattractively.

She looked up at him, agony emanating from her shoulder, tears streaming down her pale cheeks as her vision started to blacken. _Oh shit... _she thought, just as she dropped back to the road, her head hitting the gravelly surface with a thud.

Ichigo din't know what was going on. One minute, he was driving down the road, desperate to get home, the next there was a kid in the road and a girl jumping in front of his car. He had swerved, but he knew that he had hit her by the sound of metal hitting flesh. He sat in shock for a few seconds, before he felt his limbs start to move and the surprise subside. Jerking open the car door, he ran over to the girl, who was sobbing as she clutched the toddler.

"Hey! Are you alright? Do you need some help? What's your name?" he asked, but she just stared at him, swaying slightly. "Shit!" he cursed, as her eyes started to roll to the back of her head before closing, and she fell back with a nasty crack. The kid she was clinging to wailed again, shaking the older girl, shrieking 'Haha!' loudly. His amber eyes became deeper, as he realised that the girl was the toddlers mother. Who he had just hit with his car. "Hey! Hey, calm down!" he said to the boy , who continued to call for his mother.

Ichigo groaned, and lifted the kid from his mothers unconscious body. "Calm down. I need you to be a good kid, alright?" he asked, trying to keep his tone even. The snivelling child sniffed loudly, snot dripping from his nose as he stared with large grey eyes at Ichigo. However, he was quiet, and that was good enough. Ichigo placed the boy on the pavement, and the went back to the fallen mother. Grimacing, he placed his hand under her neck,and under her knees, lifting her bridal style to the car. Her arm dangled lifelessly, as he gestured to the kid to follow. The boy did, not wanting to leave his haha's side ever again.

When he had safely deposited the teenager in the back of his car, he set about securing the kid in the passenger seat. Then, with a worried glance into the rear-view mirror, he started up the car again and drove away, heading for the place he had been going. The Kurosaki-lin. His Old Man could fix her arm. Although, he was going to get into a lot of shit for hitting her in the first place. The twenty-four year old scowled deeper. _That was something to look forward to_.

**XoXoX**

Rukia hissed, when she came to again, her hand flying to her shoulder only to find the arm was back in it's socket. It was still however bound in a sling preventing her from using it. Closing her eyes, she ignored the niggling feeling of frustration and despair that came with her now useless for the time being limb, and swung her legs over the side of the bed she was on.

She looked around, realising that she was in the surgery of the Kurosaki-lin. The walls were white, the floor tiled, and there was a long, white desk along the wall opposite the high bed/examination table she had been passed out on. Bookshelves lined the wall near the door, and a large window allowed the orange light of the streetlights outside to stream in.

The rain continued to poor, hammering down on the glass pane of the window relentlessly. She dropped down to the floor, only to sway slightly and have to grip the table with her free hand in order to stay steady.

"My gorgeous third daughter! So glad to see you are awake!" an energetic voice called to her, and Rukia looked up sharply, her head protesting painfully and her eyes becoming slightly blurry, to see Kurosaki Isshin, her son's Dokuta beaming down at her. _Where had he come from? _"I apologize greatly for your injury! It hurts my heart to know that it was my idiot son who hurt you! Do not worry! He shall be punished!"

Rukia scowled. His son? What was he talking about? It was some orange-haired idiot that had nearly killed her son and run her over, not the Dokuta's son. Her eyes widened. _Shiro!_

"Isshin-otousan! Where is Shiro? Is he safe?" she asked, hurriedly, and the dark haired man nodded jubilantly. Rukia, when she had first arrived in Karakura nine months ago had been rather terrified of the man, and his very... exuberant attitude, yet she had warmed up to him more after he helped her deal with Shiro when he had Chicken Pox. And he offered her free health care despite her insistence to pay for it.

"My lovely, adorable little grandson is asleep. I left him in the safe, mothering hands of my darling Yuzu. She looks so grown up with a baby! It's so difficult to see my little girl, all grown up, no longer needing her strong, handsome Oyaji to protect her from the evil monsters in this world!" Isshin declared, and Rukia giggled nervously, sweat dropping.

"Can I see him?" she asked, timidly. The loud man beamed at her. Isshin Kurosaki was quite like no one she had ever met before. He always wore a bright coloured shirt, with large flowers on it, and black trousers, and his white surgical coat. He had a constant stubble along his jawline, and every time she saw him, his hair was spiked up. She often wondered how a man with such a vibrant, easy-going personality had ever become a Doctor, yet she never mentioned it.

She didn't want to offend the only person in Karakura who didn't look at her like she was some sort of scum from the bottom of their shoe.

"Of course you can! But first, you must let me take a look at your injuries! My baka child reset your shoulder, but I never got the chance to see if there was any bruising, my poor Rukia-chan," he pouted, and Rukia swallowed nervously. She really didn't like having check ups.

The smell was always horrible, a sickly sweet pungent odour. It was always white and clean... sterile. Rukia grimaced, twitching slightly as she squashed down those thoughts.

"Ara, it's fine, Isshin-otousan. Can I just see my son?" Rukia asked again, her tone more demanding than pleading. Her eyes hardened with stubbornness, and Isshin had to admire her for putting her want to see her child above her own health.

He gave an melodramatic sigh, placing his hand over his forehead, and Rukia rose her eyebrows. "Very well, Rukia-chan! I suppose I'll just have to let you go! Oh my! The treatment my beloved daughters give me! They are so cruel!" he wailed. Rukia walked past him, limping slightly. She never reacted to his cries, knowing to just ignore him after living there for nine months.

She paused. Wait... Isshin, Karin and Yuzu had been away. When had they come back? They weren't supposed to be home until Saturday. It was only Thursday. Rukia breathed heavily._ I hope they didn't cut their holiday short for me... _Feeling undoubtedly heavier, and guiltier, she walked up the stairs that connected the Kurosaki-lin, to the home that was built around it. It had taken her a few days to wrap her head around the layout of the home.

The Kurosaki-lin took up most of the L-shaped building on the ground floor, and there was a side entrance that led to stairs which went up to the home on the right side of the building. The stairs from the Lin went to the same corridor as the stairs from the side entrance. On the first floor was the combined living room/kitchen/dining room and the only bathroom in the home. The large square room was split up into two, the kitchen in the corner opposite the door, with the dining table in the corner opposite it, furthest from the door. Near the table was a large poster of Isshin's wife, Masaki.

A settee was on the same wall as door facing the wall that the poster was on, and a reasonably sized television that only got used on Saturday nights for some reason. In the corner was a large bookshelf packed with books on English and Japanese literature, history and medical journals.

Rukia's room, Karin and Yuzu's room and Isshin's room where all squashed together. Yuzu and Karin's room was first on the floor, than Isshin's L-shaped bedroom which no one was allowed in, and down a corridor along the back of the house was her room, which she shared with Shiro. She went to her room first, expecting him to be in his crib, as the clock in the Surgery had said it was nearly midnight. His bedtime was half-eight. She looked for the charcoal-haired boy, needing to see him, make sure he was alright. Panic gripped her slightly, when she found the blue-painted crib empty, it's covers rumpled. He had been his bed, obviously, but now he wasn't.

Someone had taken him.

Rukia nearly screamed, but told herself to get a grip, turning on her heel and running down the corridor, despite her limp._ What if he had found her? What if he had Shiro?_ The questions attacked her mind, as she turned crashed into the living room, her violet eyes large and frantic as she looked around the room. She stalled though, when she saw the orange-haired man pacing the living room, rocking her son. Her free hand was still on the door handle, her jaw dropped slightly as she gaped at the stranger in surprise.

"What... what are you doing? Who are you, and why are you holding my son? Where is Yuzu-chan?" she rambled, looking around the dark room as if Yuzu was hiding in a corner. Like the rest of the house, other than the clinic, the room was dark. The only light was from the television, as the images flickered across the screen, silently. The whole house was quiet, Rukia suddenly realised. Isshin must have retired for the night because she couldn't even hear the low murmur of the Kurosaki-lin's lights.

"I made Yuzu go to bed. She was worried about you, though why I have no idea. You are just some baka who dove in front of my car," the man grumbled, a scowl on his face as he kept his voice low. Shiro sniffed and twisted slightly in his arm. He sucked on his pacifier, his head resting in the crook of the orange haired man's neck. Rukia's mouth snapped shut, and she glared at him darkly.

"You were going to hit my son. What else was I going to do, let you run him over?" Rukia hissed coldly. The man tensed, a flash of guilt in his amber eyes before he looked away from her, swaying Shiro. Rukia began to walk over to him. "Give me my son," she demanded quietly, so she didn't wake the toddler. The man shook his head, and Rukia grit her teeth. "Give me my son now! I don't know you, he doesn't know you. You have no right to hold him. Especially not after you nearly killed him."

"If you had better control over him he wouldn't have been in the road for me to nearly hit," he seethed, his eyes narrowing. "What kind of mother can't control their own kid? Why wasn't he in a pram, or on reigns?" Ichigo questioned her rhetorically, and it took all she had not to slap him. How _dare_ this stranger question her skills as a mother! She would _DIE_ for her son!

"How. Dare. You," she spat. "You don't even know me. You have no right to judge me at all!" she flared, incensed. She took several steps closer to him, her eyes burning with fury. He glowered back. " I want my son back. Now."

"It's pointless. You can't even carry him, your arm is in a sling," he pointed out, and Rukia frowned, looking at her arm, before giving him a dirty look.

"It's only in a sling because you hit me with a CAR!" her voice rose at the end of her sentence, and his eyes widened, when Shiro stirred his face scrunching up slightly. They both stared at the tiny boy, breaths held, until he settled again, hiccuping in his sleep. Rukia gave a relieved huff, before she looked at the stranger again. "You haven't even apologized."

"You didn't give me a chance," he snapped. Rukia blinked, then flushed and looked at her feet, realising that she hadn't actually given him the chance to. She had just started snapping at him without a moment's thought. He sighed, looking at the television over his shoulder. "Ara... Gomen, yoshii? I didn't see your kid, and it was nearly too late to avoid you. I didn't mean to hit you with my car. It was an accident. Gomen."

Rukia visibly deflated, unable to make eye contact with him. She hadn't really expected him to apologize. Not really. It hadn't been his fault entirely, she had upset Shiro, and he had ran off because of it. The only reason she hadn't put him in his pram was because she couldn't find the damned contraption in the house, and she had only realised when she got to Urahara's that it was in the Kurosaki's car, which they had taken with them to Kagomino City.

"Arigatou... er..." she trailed off, biting her lip as she realised she didn't know his name. Despite his previous anger, he chuckled quietly, holding out his right hand and saying 'It's Ichigo, Kurosaki Ichigo'. He continued to hold Shiro with his left hand, the boy not slipping at all his large hand. Rukia hesitated, before shaking it with her free left hand.

"Koizumi Rukia. And he is Shiro," Rukia smiled at her son tenderly, placing her hand on the sleeping boys back. She rubbed it soothingly, her eyes softening as she stared at her tiny son. "It seems he has taken to you, though," she trailed off. _Even if you did nearly hit him with your car... _It was a bitter, unfair thought, but it crossed her mind none the less, causing her eyes to darken slightly. "Don't know why. I mean, you are a berry-baka. A carrot-top strawberry."

A vein throbbed in Ichigo's head, and he growled, baring his teeth. Rukia smirked, and reached up, standing on her tip-toes. She flicked his forehead and laughed softly at his strained attempt to hold back a roar of anger. Shiro sniffed and moaned in his slumber, and Ichigo instantly rubbed his back, trying to soothe him before he woke fully. Ichigo reigned his temper in, trying desperately not to blow up and snap at the tiny girl.

When Rukia dropped her arm, she went over to the settee and sat down, reaching for the remote. "Since you are so eager to hold him, do me a favour and put him in his crib? I can't lift him," Rukia waved him off, and the vein reappeared on his forehead.

"Stupid midget," he mumbles, and she suddenly sits up straight, her entire body twisting to look at him. A dark aura surrounded her, and it was as if she had just become possessed by some demon spirit as she growled at him. Her voice hissed at him, a cool 'What. Did. You. Say?', and Ichigo sweatdropped, shaking his head and backing out of the room slowly to take Shiro to Rukia's-

Rukia's room?_ WHAT THE HELL_? It was** HIS r**oom!

**XoXoX**

Ichigo found himself realising quickly, that during his time in America, Rukia had somehow become a very important part of his family's life. This tiny girl, who he didn't know at all, was fully integrated into their lives, as Rukia-nee, his Oyaji's precious 'Rukia-chan'... She had somehow taken over their lives. And he realised this, the next morning when he found himself woken by Isshin.

"**GOOD MORNNNNIIINNNNNG ICHIGO**!" the eccentric man roared, as his foot near-collided with his son's face. Ichigo managed to sit up fast enough to punch his Oyaji in the face, sending him flying back into the wall with a horrifying crash. There was a horrified gasp, and Ichigo looked at the doorway to see Rukia standing in the doorway, her violet eyes wide as she looked at Isshin. Shiro was on her hip, her left arm holding him against her while her right arm was in it's sling.

The yellow pyjamas she wore, Ichigo was sure he had given to Yuzu as a Christmas present the year before. They were rolled up at the legs, to her knee's and she wore the top undone, with a white tank-top underneath. Her hair was messy, and all around her head, and she still looked tired as she bit her lip. She looekd torn between helping Isshin, and feeding her fussy baby who looked grumpy as he glared down at Ichigo's Oyaji. Ichigo sighed, and stood from the settee he had been forced to sleep on, his blanket slipping onto the floor.

Her head spins to look at him, and her cheeks instantly darken. His chest was completely bare, and he only had on bottoms. She tore her eyes from him, only to yelp in surprise when he lifts the moody baby from her arms. Shiro looks up at him, reached up to grab his hair, and then huffs tiredly, his stomach rumbling.

"Yummy," he mumbled, sucking on his pacifier. Rukia frowned.

"Hey! Where are you going with my son, Berry-baka!" she demanded, her eyes narrowing. Ichigo rolled his eyes, opening a cupboard and rustling about, until he found the jars of baby food.

"I'm giving him food, midget. He's hungry," Ichigo drawled, and the vein in Rukia's forehead throbbed, her eyes twitching as she watched him put _her _son in his high chair. Ichigo emptied the jar into a bowl that was covered in bunnies, and set it in front of Shiro, with a plastic spoon. As soon as he had stepped away from the high chair, Rukia's left fist slammed into his cheek, her teeth bared and eyes closed. Ichigo fell back, and then growled. "WHAT THE HELL, STUPID MIDGET!"

"Don't call me a midget!" Rukia snarled, stomping her heel down on is foot. Ichigo yelled out in pain, grabbing his foot and hopping up and down. Rukia, however, was rather impressed that he hadn't hit her back, despite her both punching him and standing on his foot. If he had been anyone else, he probably would have. She stuck her tongue out at him, acting her age for once, and then turned her attention to Shiro.

Who had somehow managed to cover his entire body, face and hair in the short time she had been arguing with the older man. He shoved his fngers into his mouth, sucking on them happily. His pacifier had been discarded callously, thrown to the floor without a second thought as he devoured the cream gooey food, a look of utter bliss on his tiny face.

"Shiro-chan... look how messy you are!" Rukia cooed, and Shiro giggled, holding out a mush covered spoon to her. Rukia, despite the fact that the mush looked incredibly unappetising, put her mouth round the spoon and sucked the goo from the vibrant, electric blue spoon. It was sickly sweet, and slid over her tongue like a slug, leaving a taste of apple and banana behind it. Ichigo rose an eyebrow when she literally sparkled.

"Ara! It's so yummy!" Rukia lied, clasping her hands together and beaming at the baby, who clapped and squealed 'Yummy!' in reply. Ichigo nearly laughed, when Shiro held up his fists in offering to his mother, saying ''Yummy' again. Rukia's face dropped momentarily, before she pulled a fake-delighted expression over her features. "It's okay, Shiro-chan! You can eat it all up!"

Shiro pouted, and was away to start crying, when Rukia was suddenly lifted off her feet. "Aiiee! What on earth - Ichigo! Put me down!" Rukia shrieked, when she found her back pulled up against Ichigo's bare chest, him spinning her on her feet. His arm was wrapped around her waist, lifting her effortlessly of the vinyl flooring. Her cheeks turned red, and Shiro cackled in amusement at her, clapping his hands. She gasped, and winced hen her arm jostled painfully, jarring her shoulder. "Ow! Ichigo! Put me down!"

Ichigo furrowed his eyebrows at the tilt in her voice. It sounded hurt, and sore. He slowly set her down on the floor, and she raised a tiny hand to her shoulder, rubbing the bruised skin through her pyjamas. Her face was scrunched, lips pursed, eyebrows practically one and nose scrunched up as she muttered to herself. Guilt flashed within him, yet he pushed it down. He had apologized for hitting her with his car, and he had only been messing with her just then to amuse Shiro and save her from having to eat that gunk.

"MY PRECIOUS RUKIA-CHAN! Are you alright? Did my hideous, brute of a son hurt you, oh my beautiful joji!" Isshin appeared, and Ichigo was actually surprised to see genuine concern behind his mask of childishness. He didn't show it, of course, he expression scowling and furrowed. Rukia sweat dropped, and nodded shakily, stepping away from Isshin as he towered over her, his stubbly cheek nearly in her eyes, his forehead nearly pressed against hers.

"Oh! I am so thankful! Masaki! My love! Our darling Rukia-chan is not in pain! How wonderful this day is once again!"

Isshin had thrown himself at his poster, dramatically sobbing. Rukia rolled her eyes, and rubbed her arm again. She wanted to shush him, to tell him to be quiet so he didn't wake Yuzu or Karin. She tried as hard as possible to make sure Yuzu slept in during the holiday. The girl was always the first up during the week, making breakfast and doing the cleaning, and Rukia really tried hard to help her out, let her get some sleep and go out with her friends, like a normal fifteen year old girl. It didn't help that Yuzu was devoted to Shiro.

Besides, it was pointless, as she could hear movement on the floor above anyway. The floorboards creaked as feet moved around, weighing on the older boards. Shiro blinked his grey eyes and then looked up at Ichigo.

"Bewwy out," he called, holding up his hands to be lifted. Somehow, in the space of less than twenty-four hours, Shiro had begun to call him 'Berry'. It was both irritating, and adorable. The latter something he would never admit to anyone on pride of his reputation.

He was also discovering that Shiro had a rather odd vocabulary. He knew 'yummy' and associated it with anything he liked, 'haha' which he referred to Karin, Yuzu and Rukia as, although he seemed to understand that Rukia was his mother, and had sometimes referred to Karin and Yuzu as 'ba'. He definitely knew 'no' and yelled it the night before when Ichigo had tried to separate him from Rukia as well as 'out', 'toy', 'baka' and called his old man 'ji'.

Ichigo scowled deeper as he looked at the mush covered boy who wanted to be lifted. "Er..." he stalled, looking at Rukia who was struggling to pour herself a bowl of cereal with one hand. Groaning silently, and muttering 'why me?' he lifted the dirty boy from the high chair.

"He's going to need a bath. Take him in the bath with you. I would, it's just Isshin-otousan will want to look at my arm after breakfast," Rukia demanded, leaving no room for argument, sitting at the table with her bowl. The boy literally stick to Ichigo's taut, tanned skin. The mush that had covered Shiro was no also covering his chest and side, as he moved the wriggling boy to his hip and glared at Shiro's Okaasan.

"Oi. He isn't my responsibility. Why should I do it? He's your kid, midget," Ichigo protested, and Rukia's bowl suddenly flew and hit his head, covering his hair and face with milk and cereal.

"I AM NOT A MIDGET! And you have to bath anyway, so why not just take him in with you? He trusts you, and it saves me having to do it," she flipped her hair over her shoulder with her free hand, smirking and Ichigo growled, away to snap back when he felt milk seeping into his bottoms. Grimacing, he locked his jaw, glowering at Rukia who glared back triumphantly.

"Oniichan! What happened to you? Why are you covered in cereal?" Yuzu's voice questioned from the doorway, and Shiro literally lit up when he heard her, shrieking joyfully.

"Haha-ba!" he cheered, waving his hands energetically and bouncing on Ichigo's hip. Yuzu began to coo and fuss, completely forgetting her Oniichan as her attention was captured by the adorable, round-faced little Kouzumi.

"Ara! Shro-chan! You are so messy! Aren't you kawaii!" she cooed and Shiro giggled, clapping. Ichigo grumbled, and brushed past her, muttering he was going in the shower darkly. Rukia called his name, in a sing-song voice, and he glared at her over the shoulder.

"Don't forget to put a new diaper on him when you're done! The bag is in my room," she sang, practically sparkling, and Yuzu gasped, her hands covering her face in delight. Ichigo bit back a retort, as he strode from the room with as much dignity as possible, leaving a giggling Rukia, and amused Isshin and a glowing Yuzu behind him.

**XoXoX**

The water was warm but not hot, as Ichigo relaxed into it, Shiro sat between his legs, holding onto his knees. He had been resistant at first to getting into the water, preferring to be dirty and sticky, but had calmed down when Ichigo sat in the water as well.

Shiro splashed the clear water playfully, testing it and then grinned widely. Ichigo smirked as the dark haired boy proceeded to splash the water, at him and at the tiled walls. "Yummy!" he cheered, and Ichigo chuckled as Shiro looked up at him, as if looking for his approval. "Bewwy yummy?"

Ichigo ruffled the boys hair, responding 'Hai, Berry is yummy'. Shiro stared up at him, his movements stilled. There was something in his eyes that Ichigo couldn't quite place, yet the two pools of grey were warm and full of life and happiness. Ichigo momentarily thought to Rukia's eyes, which when opened were cold, and harsh, having seen more than there fair share of pain in her obviously short lifetime.

Scowling, Ichigo reached over an picked up a bottle of pink shampoo, pouring a drop into his palm and then messing Shiro's wet hair with is, causing it to bubble and foam in his hair. Shiro giggled, and bat his hands away before splashing in the water again. Ichigo rolled is eyes at the toddlers antics, and grabbed a cup of the side, filling it with water and turning Shiro so his back was to him. Shiro tensed when Ichigo poured the water over his head, covering Shiro's eyes with his other hand as he removed the soapy bubbles.

Rukia could only be eighteen, nineteen at the most. She must still be in school. Probably Karakura High, rather than Seireitie Academy, where Ichigo was going to teach. She was just a child herself, yet she had her own kid to look after.

How had she ended up here? With his family, in his home? Had that much changed in the last four years that his Oyaji just took in random strangers that appeared at his door? _Was it really that strange? Old goat-face was crazy... _Ichigo scowled again, and looked at Shiro, who had once again returned to his splashing. He closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath to clear his thoughts and then lifted Shiro from the water, the boy scrunching up his face and kicking out his legs it Ichigo.

"No! Yummy!" he pouted, and Ichigo gave him a stern look.

"No splashing," Ichigo said, and Shiro sniffed, his lip trembling as he threatened to cry, until Ichigo rose an orange eyebrow at him. Shiro opened his mouth, then clamped it shut with a stubborn pout, kicking out his leg one more time in huff. Ichigo smirked, and set Shiro back in the water, before shampooing and conditioning is own flaming hair. As he ran his hands through it, he realized it was high time he got it cut, it was nearly reaching his shoulders now.

"What do you think, Shiro, should I cut my hair?" he asked, jokingly, and Shiro just cocked his head, blinking, before saying 'Yummy'. Ichigo chuckled, and rinsed off his hair. Pulling the plug with his toes, he lifted Shiro up and clambered out the bath.

He pulled a fluffy white towel off the rack near the bath, and wrapped Shiro in it, covering his head and body until only the young toddlers grey eyes peeked out from the white, his pale skin the near same colour as the towel. Grabbing anther towel and wrapping it around his waist, he lifted Shiro, an arm under his bottom and a hand on his back.

"You're heavy, you know that right?" Ichigo asked rhetorically and Shiro kicked him in the stomach, scowling. Ichigo scowled back, as he left the bathroom. The cold air of the rest of the house caused his skin to erupt in goosebumps, and he shuddered slightly as he walked to Rukia's (it was **HIS** room, dammit!) room to dress Shiro. He was away to open the door, when he heard Rukia's voice within it.

She sounded pissed off.

_"I don't care about that, Megumi-sama! I just want to know if he is okay! What do you mean he's sending Renji?" _

Ichigo scowled deeper. If _who_ was okay? What was happening? Who was Renji? There was a brief pause, and when Rukia spoke again, she sounded less angry, and more tired and stressed.

_"He's my Niisama, Megumi-sama. I am worried about him." _

Her Niisama? Ichigo furrowed his eyebrows. Rukia had a brother. Shiro's uncle. And apparently, there was something wrong with him if Rukia was so worried. Shiro's small fists held onto his towel, gazing up at Ichigo's scowling face as if sensing something wasn't right. "Bewwy?"

"Shush, Shiro, I'm trying to listen," Ichigo frowned, but there was noting else to listen too as e heard footstep coming to the door. He didn't have time to move, as it opened to reveal a flustered and upset looking Rukia, changed out of her pyjamas and into a simple white dress that made her look more innocent than she obviously was.

She looked at Shiro and Ichigo, her violet eyes cold, and her emotions turbulent. _Stupid Niisama, stupid Megumi-sama, stupid Renji!_

"I was just... er... going to get Shiro dressed..." Ichigo mumbled, and Rukia exhaled heavily, putting her free hand to her temples and rubbing them tiredly. She hadn't even realised that Ichigo was standing in front of her, wearing only a towel, his body slick and wet as a dribble of water ran from his neck, slowly trailing over his chest and down over rock hard abs.

"Hai.. hai... whatever. Just don't touch my stuff, berry baka," she muttered half-heartedly insulting him as she pushed past. Ichigo and Shiro watched as she strode away from them and down the stairs, head bowed as she thought deepl, tuning everything else out.

"Kid, your Okaasan is a whack-job," Ichigo informed the fourteen month old. Shiro furrowed his eyebrows, mouthed something, before lookign back at Ichigo.

"Wak-jo?"


	2. Questions and NotQuite Answers

New chapter! YAy for me :) Yay for you as well lol! Thank you everyone for all the support you are giving me in my stories, you are the best :) From now on I will have a Question and Answer section at the beginnings of the chapter, so if you have anything you are confused about, curious about or just want to know, please ask :)

**Enjoy :P**

**Review Responses! :)**

**Alyssa: **Thank you so much for your review! You are so awesome :) In response to your request, I would like to assure you that she is going to tone down, she is just a little up in the air at the moment, and so is venting her frustrations on Ichigo :) The reasons why are coming soon! Thank you for taking the time to read my story. :)  
**Nora:** I am so glad you like it :) Thank you for the review! Don't worry, all will be revealed in due course  
**CrystalAmethyst**: I'm so glad that you like my story, even if you don't support the pairing :)  
**Starsandstuff: **Thank you for the review! I'm glad you like it :)  
**Sleepygirl:** Hehe, we'll find out who Shiro's dad is soon enough... some things have to happen first though :)  
**Rukes**: Than you so much for the review! I love hearing that people like my story ;P  
**Aizawa Ayumu Oz Vessalius**: Hehe, yeah, Shiro is adorable :) I'm sorry, but he definitely is Rukia's son. If that puts you off the story, it's okay, but I really hope you keep reading :) Thank you!  
**Kfhan forlife**: Thank you for the review! I am so happy you like both my stories :) You rock!

**Glossary**

Haha - Mother  
Kurosaki-lin - Kurosaki Clinic  
Dokuta - Doctor  
Ara - Oh  
Gomen Sumimasen- Sorry  
Yoshii - Alright?  
Arigatou - Thank You  
Joji - baby girl  
Kawaii - cute

* * *

**Her Sensei's Family**

If anything, Rukia's foul mood managed to persist through the rest of the day. She was quiet, and so uncommunicative that even Yuzu had given up, choosing instead to go see her friends in the town for a while. Shiro was staying away from her as well, playing with his toys quietly in his play pen, throwing a toy to his side, then standing and retrieving it, only to carry out the process all over again. Karin had disappeared around eleven that morning, muttering something about Toshiro, and soccer. Isshin had managed to skulk off into the clinic, which meant Ichigo was left alone with the moody female, and her son.

They sat, Rukia on the far end of the couch adjacent to the wall, and him on the chair that cornered off the end of the couch, the television's sound the only noise in the room, other than the occasional bang of Shiro's toys. Rukia sat tense, her back rigid and her finger tapping against her chin in thought. A far-off feeling of frustration and coldness emanated from her, waves of disappointment and anger filing the air with tension. ichigo finally had enough of it, and stood, leaving her in the room alone with Shiro to see what Isshin was up to.

Even that baka was better company than her. Although... a dead dog would be better company than Rukia, but he wasn't going to say that out loud. Also, every time he looked at her and saw her arm in the sling, he felt guilty, because it was his fault. He had hit her with his car, and he couldn't deny that. But he would definitely never tell her that it was his fault. She'd probably throw a shoe at him. Rukia exhaled heavily, running a hand through her hair as she realised Ichigo had stood and left the room.

A frown fell onto her lips. She was being so cruel to him, and he really didn't deserve to be treated the way she had been treating him. He was helping her, begrudgingly, and even though she didn't want his help, it was painful to admit that she actually needed it. Rukia had to reign herself in. She was losing control of her emotions and that wasn't the Kuchi- that wasn't the Koizumi way.

Her eyes travelled over to Shiro, the toddler innocently playing with his building bricks and his jigsaws and his teddy bear. He looked so sweet, just shuffling around. His hair stuck up in careless, messy spikes, falling between his eyes and all around his round, pale skinned face. He had her hair colour, and her Niisama's eyes, but everything else about him was like his Oyaji.

Rukia's heart felt heavy in her chest, and she looked away from Shiro her eyes closing momentarily as she rubbed her chest, feeling a numb agony under her turned her mind to other things, not wanting to go down that torturous train of thought.

Renji was coming. He had been her bodyguard... her best friend... for a very long time. When they were younger he had always been there for her, and when she was twelve and he was sixteen, he had become her bodyguard when he was hired by her family. Then, shortly after Rukia was fifteen, Renji had moved to Kagomino City. After that she had lost contact with him, and he had been replaced. Rukia had missed him, greatly when he first left, but eventually it had numbed. She had adjusted and moved on as much as possible.

She wondered if he had changed. Would he still have that bright red hair? Ridiculous eyebrow tattoos? Weird sense of style? What if he was a completely different person? A flash of fear struck her. _What if he was disappointed in her? _She wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly feeling cold as she watched the bunnies dancing on the television. For once, she didn't receive any enjoyment from watching her beloved bunnies, a feeling of impending dread in the pit of her stomach.

Rukia felt like she was going to be sick.

Ichigo sat on the chair at his Oyaji's desk, his arms crossed over the back of the white chair and knees on either side of the back. His chin rested on his arms, and he looked bored as Isshin looked through a patients file, before returning it onto the shelves. "So, why is she even here, Oyaji?" Ichigo questioned again, and Isshin nearly rolled his eyes at his son, before beaming at the orange haired man.

"Who am I to turn down a poor, defenceless creature such as Rukia-chan! Her beauty makes her prey for any predator out there, and my darling Shiro was in even more danger! I couldn't just leave them to fend for themselves, not in this cruel, abusive world!" Isshin bawled, until Ichigo's fist flew into his face, sending him flying into the white wall. A vein ticked in Ichigo's forehead as he scowled in annoyance, standing erect over the chair.

"Cut the crap, goat-face, and just tell me the truth. Who is this girl? Why is she here, and what's more, why does she have **MY **room?" Ichigo asked, lowering his fists to his side and sitting back down, hufing slightly. Isshin opened his mouth, ready to bawl something about how cruel his children where, when the serious look on Ichigo's face caused him to sigh. He went over to the door to his office, and closed it, before crossing his arms and leaning against the door.

"About ten months ago, I got a call from an old nakama of mine. He worked for Rukia-chan's family, and they needed to put her and her son in hiding. I owed him a favour, and he suggested I let her come stay here, because this is the last place anyone would look for her. Shiro's otousan is dead. He was shot down about two months before Shiro was born. They were targeting Rukia and he got in the way. That is why she is here. I can't tell you who she is, because I swore not to, Ichigo," Isshin explained, and Ichigo scowled his amber eyes burning holes into the linoleum floor as he stared at it.

"You can't tell her that there is someone after her. As far as she is aware, both her and her son are perfectly safe. Her Niisama had worked damn hard to ensure that nothing happens to her, even casting her out of his family for her own protection. If she finds out, Ichigo, she'll give herself up, to protect Shiro and her Niisama. She can not find out. We need to keep her safe," Isshin told him, his voice deep and resonating throughout the small office space.

The clock ticked slowly, the air between the two men thick with unanswered questions, and impossible answers. Ichigo only scowled deeper at the explanation, realizing that it didn't really reveal anyhting about who Rukia actually was, other than she had a brother who was extremely protective of her.

"Is Koizumi even her last name?"

Isshin paused, his eyes lowering from his son to the floor. If he answered 'Yes', Ichigo would know he was lying. If he answered 'No', Ichigo would want to know her last name, and discover everything that they were trying to hide. And even by telling Ichigo this, Isshin had already involved him too much. He had swore an oath not to speak of it, to anyone including Rukia as much as it pained him to hide things from the sweet girl.

"I can't tell you whether it is or not. I'm just asking you to trust me that she needs to be here," Isshin stated, and Ichigo looked at him, hesitating, before he nodded his head in silent submission. If his Oyaji was asking him, in all seriousness, to trust his judgement, then he would. For the time being. He still wasn't sure about the strange girl, and the fact that everything about her was a big secret. Ichigo was sick of secrets, they seemed to be all he ever encountered.

Isshin eyed his son, watching as his expression darked and his head bowed slightly. Isshin hated how much burden the man carried upon his shoulders, how Ichigo constantly seemed to be shouldering a hefty weight that never relented. He had been like that since his mother died. He closed himself off from everyone around him, even his best friends. Then, he had moved to America. Why he was back now, Isshin was confused about. He hadn't been home in four years and he had no reason to be back now.

"Why did you come home?" Isshin asked, his curiosity getting the better of him. If anything, Ichigo darkened even more, his permanent frown deepening and eyebrows becoming one practically. He turned his head to look at the bookshelf, not glancing at his dark-haired Oyaji for a second.

"It doesn't matter. It was just time to come back. Why? Do you not want me here, or something?" Ichigo grumbled, his eyes flicking over to Isshin. Hsi question was both sarcastic and rhetoric, but he actually wanted to hear his old man's reply.

To be honest, he was slightly scared that Isshin would respond 'No'. He hadn't exactly been the best son over the last few years, or brother. The only time he ever called was on their birthday, or at Christmas. He would send a present, but other then that, he had pretty much lost contact with his entire family. If anything, he actually would expect Isshin to kick him out on his rear end.

"'Course I want you here! Do you know what it's like being the only adult male in a house with three teenage girls and a toddler? I think they are plotting to kill me in my sleep sometimes!" Isshin moaned dramatically, his hand flying to his forehead. Ichigo smirked, his demeanour lightening at his baka Oyaji's act. It was amazing that the man even became a Dokuta. He was a totally eccentric man, yet Ichigo knew that when he wanted to be, he was a deadly serious person.

Ichigo vaguely noticed that Isshin said 'three teenage girls'. So, Rukia was only a teenager. For some reason, he felt disheartened, but he just shoved it down to the back of his mind, ignoring it. That train of feeling only led to pain, and he really wasn't ready to feel like that again.

**XoXoX**

Yuzu hummed pleasantly to herself as she walked down the streets, through back passageways behind the houses. The sun was starting to set over the roofs of the houses she passed, casting an orange glow over the area around her. It was quiet, with no traffic around and no people pushing her out of the way in their rush to get home. In her hands she swung a bag of ingredients for the dinner she was going to make that night, in celebration of her Oniichan's return home. She felt lighter, happier, knowing he was back with them, safe and well. Although, he did look like he could use some good old fashioned home cooking by herself. Perhaps it would even make Rukia feel better. The older girl had been in a bad mood all day, and Yuzu had no idea why.

Normally, Yuzu found it easy to read Rukia's moods, and the reasons behind them. She was naturally able to detect how a person felt, and Rukia left herself an open book, her emotions clear not in her expressions but her eyes. They displayed everything she felt, her violet irises the windows to her very soul. Yuzu had seen that despite how turbulent Rukia's emotions where that morning, she really didn't want to talk about it, and so made up an excuse to leave for the day.

If she hadn't. she would have only asked questions and upset her more. That would only have made things worse, as Rukia tended to close herself off when she was upset, and mull things over in her head. That only increased the girls misery, because Rukia had a problem that she was very pessimistic about many things. Mostly, when they related to her or her son.

Yuzu stalled in her movements, the hair on back of her neck tingling and she looked up from where her gaze had settled on the pavement. A group of boys, who went to Karakura High School rather than Seireitie Academy, all crowded the back street in front of her. The gangs leader sneered at her. He was tall, and unattractive, with a chain running along his face from his nose to his ear, and thick rimmed glasses. He wore the dark blue Karakura High uniform, even though school wasn't due to start for another week, and had tick braids in his hair.

"Lookie, lookie, what we got's us here, boys! A lost little lamb it seems," he crooned, and Yuzu swallowed nervously. She wasn't like Karin, or Ichigo, she wasn't a very good fighter. She couldn't stand inflicting pain upon anyone else. She held her shopping bag to her chest, large, doe-like brown eyes flicking from each menacing boy as they circled her. Yuzu looked over her shoulder, as the gap closed up between them, and she was standing in the centre of their circle.

A breeze blew her mid-back length hair up slightly, whipping it around her face gracefully and elegantly. Her bangs were held back by a pink hair band, decorated with little white bunny heads. Yuzu bit her glossed lip, fear piquing within her. "Ara... please let me go..." she whimpered.

"You're that Yuzu girl, Kurosaki's twin, aren't you?" the tallest of the group growled, and Yuzu nodded quickly, wondering what on earth Karin had done now. "Tsch, that bitch attacked my man Moe. For that, you're going to pay! Get her!" he ordered his cronies, and Yuzu screamed, when one of the boy suddenly launched themselves at her from behind, arms wrapping around her neck and waist, crushing her in his hold.

"Let me go!" Yuzu panicked, kicking out her legs and dropping her shopping. Another boy rounded on her, raising his fist to hit her face, when a voice stopped them.

"I don't think that's any way to treat a lady, do you?" Yuzu nearly cried in relief as she recognised the voice of Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, her brothers nakama. He grinned widely, as the leader ordered his boys to attack him. Grimmjow caught the fist that one of them aimed at him, tightening his grip on it as he kicked the kid in the stomach, sending him crashing into the wall. He artfully dodged another boys leg as it aimed for his face, and used an uppercut to knock the boys head back, and send him to the floor.

A third threw himself at Grimmjow, and he spun out the way, bringing his elbow down on the back of his neck. The boy spluttered in pain, as Grimmjow then smashed his fist into his side. The boy crumpled into a heap, gripping his sides as Grimmjow turned to the boy who held Yuzu hostage, and the leader. His light blue eyes flicked between them, a sneer falling onto his handsome, sharp features. He ran a hand through his messy, spiky blue hair, before returning them to his jean's pockets.

"Che... Pathetic. Picking on a little kid, just cause you've got a beef wi' her sister. What sort of man are you?" Grimmjow sneered. The leader roared in anger and dove for him. Grimmjow rose his leg, in time to kick him hard n the face and break his nose. The leader howled in agony, and clutched his nose. Blood spurted from it, and Grimmjow growled. "You got blood on my shoe, you stupid fucker!" he hissed, and with cat-like grace, his foot sliced through the hair in a sharp arc, sending the beaten teen flying into the wall while Grimmjow growled.

The boy holding Yuzu dropped her, causing Yuzu to fall to the ground with a sharp yell. Grimmjow snorted, and muttered coward, as he went over to Yuzu and grabbed her upper-arm, lifting her to her feet with ease. Yuzu flushed at his close proximity, and instantly took a step back. Her brown eyes stared up at him, taking in his appearance. He had on a loose white t-shirt, under a black leather jacket and grey jeans. A chain hung from the jeans, looping around his hip to his back, and he had on large biker boots. Around his neck hung a silver chain, with a panther pendant on it.

"You okay, Yuzu?" he questioned, and she nodded, as he picked up her shopping bag. Yuzu dusted down her beige skirt, shaking out the ruffles at the hem with a frown, and straightened her white cardigan and yellow shirt. She wore flip-flops on her feet. She smiled graciously at Grimmjow, as he rummaged through her bag of food. "You havin' some sort of party?" he asked, holding up a bag of American chips. Yuzu nodded, lushing slightly.

"Hai, Grimm-kun. It's for Oniichan. He came home last night," Yuzu beamed, taking her shopping back from the older man. Grimmjow's eye twitched and his teeth became bared in a rather terrifying grin. Yuzu giggled nervously, looking over her shoulder slightly.

"So that carrot-top decided to come back, huh? 'Bout bloody fucking time! That berry owes me a fight!" Grimmjow cackled, and Yuzu sweat-dropped. Her Oniichan and Grimmjow had a very odd friendship. They had become friends when Grimmjow's family moved in across the street from them, back when Grimmjow and Ichigo were only four. According to the Grimmjow's mother, Ichigo had sat on Grimmjow and forced him to each dirt, after Grimmjow had started a fight with him, and since then the two were constantly in competition with one another, as well as best friends.

They got along, because they both enjoyed to fight and argue with one another, as odd as it seemed.

"Ara, Grimm-kun. Can you please not fight him? He only just came home, and I was really looking forward to making a big dinner for him to celebrate!" Yuzu hopefully pleaded with him, her already large eyes becoming bigger and a pout that had been termed 'The Yuzu Look' on her face. Never had a person been able to encounter it and not be forced to do what Yuzu wanted. Grimmjow grit his teeth, trying to hold his determination, before huffing moodily, and nodding.

"Arigatou, Grimm-kun! Would yo like to come to dinner tonight? You can bring your family! We haven't all got together in so long!" Yuzu gushed, hugging him briefly, before clasping her hands at her chest and glowing up at him. Grimmjow looked to the side at the wall and shrugged.

"I'll see if they're not busy, but I ain't promisin' anythin', kid," Grimmjow stated, and Yuzu squeaked happily, clapping her hands. Grimmjow rolled his eyes, and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Come on, I better walk you home. Don't want you gettin' nearly beaten up again," Grimmjow tusked, and he began to walk away. Yuzu blinked, staring at his back before rushing after him. The sun still shone gallantly, filling the sky with orange as the heat from the day persisted into the later hours.

"How are Lil-chan and Nel-chan?" Yuzu asked as they walked, and Grimmjow jerked his shoulder, grimacing. Yuzu rose her eyebrows in question. "Grimm-kun?"

"Nel's got herself a boyfriend, and Lil's gone and adopted a puppy. I fucking hate dogs," Grimmjow swore, as he remembered what the dog had done in his bedroom, on the floor. _That stupid mutt_... he was going to kill it one day, seriously, if it ever crapped on his shit again... Yuzu looked at him curiously, wanting to hear more about Nel's boyfriend. Nel was their age, while Lilynette was a year older. She acted younger then them, though, very childish and playful. "There no point in complaining. Starkk is too lazy to argue, and Tia won't get rid of the damned thing..."

"What's Nel-chan's boyfriend like?" Yuzu queried, her bag swaying back and forth as she peered up at the twenty-four year old male. Grimmjow scowled, looking very much like Ichigo as he did, kicking a rock on the floor in annoyance. Yuzu smiled slightly.

"He's a little punk. Got this stupid, big mouth, and long fuckin' hair. What's with that, anyway? Boys having long hair. It's fuckin' stupid. He's a fuckin' pervert as well. He's eighteen, and he's goin' out wi' our Nel," Grimmjow ranted, and Yuzu giggled, and then pursed her lips when Grimmjow glowered at her. They came to a stop outside the Kurosaki-lin, which was situated right opposite Grimmjow's house. She bowed, beaming at him gratefully.

"Arigatou, Grimm-kun. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't come along," she glowed, and Grimmjow just waved it off.

"Whatever, I just did what I was supposed to. Later," he jerked his head, and Yuzu waved, before turning and running to the door of her home, disappearing through it. Grimmjow shook his head. _The kid was always gettin' into trouble_. She had no fight about her whatsoever. Spinning on his heel, he strode into his house, ready to receive a lecture from his mother for being so late. Even though it was only six o'clock and he was twenty-four years old.

**XoXoX**

Rukia squeezed her eyes shut, swallowing the two tablets with force as she washed them down with water. Her shoulder had started to ache as her previous dose had won off, and it had nearly been unbearable. She gripped the counter with her only usable hand, biting her lip until the pain subsided and then exhaled heavily, relieved. She had changed out of her white dress after giving Shiro his lunch. The toddler had spilled his mashed potato down her front.

Now, she wore tartan skinny jeans, with a light green top that had long sleeves, and a dark blue waistcoat. The tartan on her jeans was blue, red and dark green. It was one of her favourite outfits, mainly because it was the outfit that her Niisama had got her for her seventeenth birthday. And because she may have been the only person on the planet who could actually pull it off.

"You okay?" Ichigo questioned from behind her, and she turned to look at him, leaning against the counter. Concern was genuinely laced through his amber irises. He stood nearly right in front of her, only about three steps away from her. She nodded wearily, eyeing his outfit. Black jeans, with faded knees, a red t-shirt, under a black shirt and a red blazer over his shirt. The ensemble looked odd, with his furry brown slippers that he wore around the house. Around his wrist were several red, black and white bands, and he had a silver chain around his neck, with a black sun pendant hanging from it. "You sure?"

"I'm fine. It's just my shoulder, don't worry about it," Rukia gave him a strained smile, and he looked at the floor, apologising. Rukia's eyebrow cocked. "It's not your fault," she said softly,and Ichigo looked a her, eyebrows rose. "It's not. You were right. If I had kept better control over Shiro, had him on reigns or in a pram, he wouldn't have been in the road and I wouldn't have had to jump in front of your car in order to get him out the way. It's not your fault, so stop beating yourself up about it."

Ichigo wasn't quite sure was was happening. Was she saying that it was her fault? How had she known that he had been blaming himself. He scowled, unable to realise what she was saying. "Ara... gomen," she apologized, and he just scowled even deeper, his brow becoming one on his forehead. Rukia idly wondered if that was the only expression he had. "I have been really cruel to you, and you didn't deserve it. So I'm apologising for the way I have treated you."

Ichigo stared at her, before closing his eyes and bowing his head. Slowly, he smirked, and looked back at her. "Che, whatever, midget," he replied, and Rukia smirked back, knowing that was his way of saying that it was all good. "I put Shiro to bed. He was being really cranky and crying, so I figured he was tired," Ichigo informed her, after a minute or two of them just staring at each other. Rukia jerked her head in acknowledgement.

"So you should have, Berry-baka. He's been up late the last few days and getting up early. I think he's getting another tooth through as well, it's one of his bigger ones, he already has his front incisors," Rukia frowned, while Ichigo looked sympathetic for the toddler. Rukia looked at him, worried. "Did he go down alright? Sometimes he's fussy about who puts him to bed when he's sleepy."

"Nah, he was perfectly fine with me. Went out like a light," Ichigo assured her, and Rukia inhaled slowly and then exhaled, relieved. They stood in silence, when Yuzu stumbled into the room, a large smile on her face a bag in her hands.

"Oniichan! Rukia-nee!" Yuzu greeted, beaming at them both as she set groceries on the counter. She looked around for Shiro, expecting him to be in his playpen, and pouted when she saw he wasn't there. "Where is Shiro-chan? I got him a new toy," Yuzu questioned, her brown eyes shining happily as she pulled a fuzzy white stuffed animal out of the bag. It was a bunny rabbit. Rukia blinked, and then shrieked in enjoyment.

"ARA! Chappy! So KAWAII!" she squealed, snatching it from Yuzu and hugging it with her free arm. Yuzu sweat-dropped, and Ichigo blinked, staring at Rukia with bewildered eyes. What. The. Fuck? Rukia continued to bounce and squeal, her face an expression of pure delight, sparkles practically flying of her. "Arigatou! I love it!" Rukia gushed, and Yuzu frowned, mumbling 'But I bought it for Shiro-chan...'. It fell on deaf ears, because Rukia was far too captivated with the bunny rabbit to notice.

Ichigo stared at her. Was this really happening? Was she really acting like his? He turned his head to Yuzu, who was smiling and shaking her head. He eyed her, suspiciously. "Where have you been all day, Yuzu-imouto?" he asked, and she looked at him, her eyes widening slightly as a blush painted her cheeks pink. She stammered, and Rukia momentarily broke from giving attention to her stuffed bunny, to Yuzu, with a smirk, her violet eyes mischievous as she waggled her fingers in Yuzu's direction.

"She was with Hanataro-kun, weren't you, Yuzu-chan," Rukia teased, and Yuzu turned even more red, shaking her head insistently as she stumbled over her words, trying to formulate a response. Ichigo was already turning red, his over-protective nature kicking in as he realized that Hanataro-kun was a _boy_, and his _little sister_ had been with a boy. Yuzu's hands went up, waving in a surrendering motion.

"No... I was with Miyuki-chan, Mai-chan and Kyoko-chan! We only saw Hanataro-kun for a few moments when we went for lunch! Then I went to buy the food for dinner and ran into Grimm-kun. He walked me home," Yuzu quickly explained, in an attempt to alleviate her Oniichan's temper. She didn't want him hurting Hanataro-kun! He hadn't even been able to ask her out on a date yet! Rukia sneaked a glance at Ichigo, who's expression had morphed back to his usual scowl. "I invited Grimm-kun and his family to dinner, since it has been so long since you saw them."

Ichigo paled, and ran his hand through his hair. "Shit... okay, great..." Yuzu sulked at his response to the news, and Ichigo knitted his brows as he turned and walked from the room. Rukia screwed up her face in disapproval, and looked at Yuzu with a reassuring look. Setting down the stuffed rabbit, she placed her hand on Yuzu's shoulder.

"It's alright, Yuzu-chan, don't worry. I'll find out what his problem is and fix it, yoshii?" she assured the younger teen, who just nodded, slightly put out as she went to make the dinner. Rukia weakly smiled, before going after Ichigo, finding him pacing her room with his hands in his hair, growling to himself. Rukia shook her head, briefly looking over to the wardrobe, where Shiro's crib was set up. She had taken out the dresser that was in it, and put it into the attic, and Shiro's crib had fit just into the space, with an inch on either side and an inch to the front. There was a night-light in there for him, clipped onto the crib, and a baby monitor on the door so she could close it at night after he fell asleep.

She silently went over, and made sure he was asleep, before flicking on the night light and closing the door. Ten, she leaned against it, her hand on her hip and eyebrow cocked. Ichigo stood with his back to her, staring out the window into the setting sun, his arms crossed and knees nearly hitting her bed. _His bed. _

"So, are you going to tell me what wrong, Ichigo?" Rukia asked, keeping her voice soft. It was the same voice she used when talking to Shiro when he was ill, or had hurt himself.

"It doesn't matter," Ichigo stated, and Rukia bowed her head, an uneven smile on her face. He turned to face her, dropping his arms and putting his hands in his pockets. She looked up, and nodded, saying 'okay'. Ichigo's eyebrows rose lightly. That was it? She wasn't going to argue, or force him to tell her? Rukia rolled her eyes at him. "What? That's it? No questions, not inquisition? You are just going to let me go with not telling you?"

"Why wouldn't I? Ichigo, it's not my place to question you. If I asked, would you answer me? No. So why should I? It's your problem, and I have no right to know it. When you want to talk, when you think it's okay to, you can talk to me. I'm patient, I can wait," Rukia told him. She took her hand out of her pocket and let it hang at her side, her head tilting left.

"I'm here if you need me, Kurosaki Ichigo" she carried on, and Ichigo's chest felt heavy as he looked at her.

He took a step back and his legs collided with the bed, causing him to fall onto his butt, looking up at her slightly surprised. Normally they questioned him until he was forced to walk away, or just avoided the subject, but this girl was... This girl was telling him that she would wait for him to answer when he was ready. She wasn't putting any pressure on him to answer. He closed his eyes, his head falling so the mop of spiky hair that covered his head shaded his face from her.

Rukia watched him, waiting for a reply silently. The only noise was the sound of Shiro's sleep mumbling and breathing from the crackling baby monitor on the desk beside Rukia's (_Ichigo's_) bed. Her expression was carefully blank, not revealing any of her thoughts to him. Finally, his amber eyes flashed back to Rukia, boring into her own violet ones. They were fathomless, like two endless pools of doubt, worry and... anger. But she could tell, it wasn't directed at her, but at himself.

"The night before I left... I got into an argument with Grimmjow. I was pissed and drunk, and he was... well he was just being Grimmjow. Plain irritating. I was already dealing with a lot of crap, under a lot of stress, and we fought. I took it all out on him, blamed him for everything, and beat the shit out of him. And he just took it. The next morning I left, and didn't even apologise . For the last four years I have ignored all his phone calls and e-mails," Ichigo told her, and Rukia could tell he was leaving out some very important details, like WHY they had actually fought to begin with, yet accepted his confession. "I never made it right."

"Ichigo... you have the chance to now. Don't mess it up. Apologise," Rukia persuaded him, and Ichigo looked weary, his head dropping into his hands. Rukia scowled, and went over to him, grabbing his hair with her hand and raising his head forcibly to meet her eyes.

"Are you, or are you not, Kurosaki Ichigo?" she demanded, narrowing her violet orbs on him. He mumbled 'Hai' weakly. Her hold on his hair wasn't painful, but enough to keep him from moving his head.

"If you a Kurosaki Ichigo, then why are you afraid? The man I have heard about is strong, unyielding and honest. Are you telling me that everything I have heard from Karin-chan and Yuzu-chan is a lie? In the last day you have helped me in more ways then one, and you have cared for my son without a second thought. You will apologise, and you will mean it, because that is who you are. You are a good man and a strong man and you can apologise and face your nakama!"

Her tone, while quiet, was forceful and demanding. Her eyes commanded respect as they burned into his. Time around them seemed to stop, as she breathed heavily, her lips pursed and a look of pure determination on her marble skinned face. The intensity of the look caused Ichigo to close his eyes, and exhale brokenly. Then, the corner of his mouth quirked slightly, and he batted her hand from his hair, standing.

He towered over her minuscule height, and Rukia had to fight back a flush when she realised just how close they were to each other. _No. Now was not the time for such stupid feelings!_ Their toes were practically touched, her front nearly pressed right against his. Her heart, despite her wish to stop it, beat rapidly, as she gazed up at him. Her stomach fluttered slightly.

"Che, you talk to much, you know that, midget?" he smirked, and the teenage other smirked back, despite the pink tinge to her cheeks.

"Eh, whatever, you don't listen enough, baka," she replied, shrugging her left shoulder carelessly and turning on her heel. She peered in on Shiro again, before collecting the baby monitor and leaving him alone for a moment, letting him collect his thoughts.

**XoXoX**

Rukia had only really met the Kurosaki's neighbours a handful of times. While she was fairly well acquainted with the Ukitake family, who lived three houses down, she rarely conversed with the family across the street from the Kurosaki-lin. The minute Ukitake Juushiro had saw her with her son, and found out his name was Shiro, he had adored the tiny toddler. He was a very kind man, and whenever she saw him, gave her sweets for Shiro.

She had also managed to make friends with his two children, Momo and Toshiro. More Momo, than Toshiro, despite how similar they were in personality. Maybe it was because they were both female, or maybe it was because they were the same age, whereas Toshiro was Yuzu and Karin's age, but they were good friends even after only knowing each other for nine months. His wife was also a lovely woman, if a tad obsessed with shopping, hot celebrities and drinking sake.

According to Momo and Toshiro she was more a big sister than a mother, really.

But in all honesty, she was curious about the family across the street. Rukia had seen them occasionally in passing, knew Nel and Lilynette, the two green-haired teens who were friends with Karin and Yuzu. She knew that the eldest son was married to her school nurse, Orihime Cifer-Inoue. Briefly she had conversed with Harribel-san in passing, but mostly they kept to themselves, and she to herself. However, she stayed as far as away from the blue-haired man, Grimmjow, as much as possible.

For some reason, he scared her, which was a very unusual reaction for her.

Rukia shook herself free from her thoughts, and smiled at Yuzu from the dinner table as the girl fussed over last minute details. It was a selection of different foods, party foods. American, Japanese and Chinese foods. Chips and dips, home-made of course, mini hot dogs and stuffed potatoes. Yakitori, sushi, kushi dango and mochi. Egg rolls, stuffed mushrooms and chowmein.

Streamers hung around the walls and somehow, out of nowhere, Yuzu had managed to get a 'Welcome home, Ichigo!' banner. It looked more like a party, then dinner, with various alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks on the side nearest the fridge, every other surfaced covered in food, while paper plates and plastic forks, wooden chopsticks and bowls were on the dinner table, with white napkins and clear cups. When Yuzu held a 'Welcome Home' dinner, she held it well.

"Is Shiro-chan asleep?" Yuzu questioned, as she set down a plate of mizu-yokan. Rukia's mouth watered slightly at the sight of the Japanese sweet desert. She responded 'Hai' to Yuzu, who pouted but nodded. She understood that Shiro would need his sleep. The last few nights were rather disruptive to his normal routine and he was naturally tired from it. Yuzu had changed out of her previous outfit, and into something more 'party-worthy'.

She had on blue denim mini-shorts, over hot-pink leggings. Her top was a lacy, light yellow camisole, and over it she had a shimmering pink crop cardigan. She looked at the clock. "Where is Karin-chan? She is supposed to be home by now! I told her to be here for seven!" Yuzu huffed, and Rukia looked at the clock to see it was five minutes to seven. Silently, she hoped hat Karin made it home before seven. Yuzu would ban her from eating if she didn't.

Rukia furrowed her eyebrows, wondering when in the nine months she had been there that she had come to think of the Kurosaki-lin as her home. Her eyes trailed over her surrounds, from Ishin who had just come in the room's obvious adoration of his daughters accomplishments with dinner as he gushed compliments, to the poster of Masaki, and finally settling on Ichigo, who leaned against the wall, rolling his eyes with a cup of lemonade in his hand.

Ichigo... She had only met him, truthfully, that day, and yet somehow she felt as if she knew him best out of them all. He was a mystery and yet at the same time, he was an open book, easy to read. She had been told stories about him, from Isshin, Karin and Yuzu. The two girls adored him, more obviously Yuzu than Karin, but Karin didn't show affection well. Isshin constantly praised his 'boy' for his smarts, and how well he was doing, despite the fact that Ichigo had left them for so long. It was obvious how proud he was.

Rukia, though, Rukia could see he had a good heart, despite how closed off he kept it from those around him. He cared deeply for those around him, and she couldn't help but admire him for how he cared for Shiro, despite having no idea who Shiro actually was. Who she actually was.

His eyes went from his Oyaji and Yuzu, to Rukia. They met, and Rukia felt her heart freeze in her chest, her eyes widening lightly at his amber orbs, the heat in them scalding her face. They were so beautiful, shining like the sun, warm and yet harsh. Her stomach fluttered again, and that tell-tale feeling of attraction caused her to quickly look away, her hand on her stomach, staring down at the baby monitor in her lap. She couldn't feel like that again. Not after the last time... It hurt too much... It had cost her too much.

Ichigo scowled when she looked away from him, looking at the back of her dark, glossy haired head. He had seen it in her eyes. She was attracted to him, she wanted him. So why was she looking away? Ichigo looked into his cup, and was suddenly hit by a horrifying realisation. _Why would he want her to look at him_? Why would he want her period? He shouldn't.

Despite the fact that she was a mother, she was still a teenager. She was only eighteen, a full six years younger than him. She was still in High school! And what made it worse was that he taught at a High school. It wasn't the school she went to, but he was still a teacher, and she was still a student. It was forbidden, illegal... It was wrong to want her. He suddenly had the urge to punch something, anything.

"I'm home!" Karin's voice called into the household, and the tomboy teenager trudged into the room, her waist length ponytail swishing as she looked at the decorations. She had on black denim shorts, a forest green long sleeved top and a black vest. Under her shorts she wore black legging, and black fingerless gloves. "Yo, goat-face, Toshiro is here as well, yoshii?" she asked, as Toshiro H. Ukitake followed her into the room, looking coolly around.

"Ara, Karin-chan! Of course Toshiro is allowed here! My Son-in-law can come by any day he wants!" Isshin crooned. Ichigo spat out his drink, looking at Karin. A vein in Karin's jaw twitched, as her fist flew out and smacked her Oyaji right across his jaw. He had been running at her, to envelope her a bear-hug. He wailed, grasping his face, before he flew at his poster. "**OH MASAKI! OUR DAUGHTER IS SO CRUEL TO ME!**"

"Cut it out, old man," Ichigo sneered, as he judged Toshiro. The boys white hair was aerodynamic, his eyes turquoise. He didn't see at all surprised by Isshin's antics, a little annoyed even. His lips were set in a straight line, and he had a bored look on his face. His hands were stuck in his blue trousers pockets, and he wore a black shirt with an up collar. On his feet he had brown loafers, and he was just a couple of inches taller than Karin's height 5'4.

Toshiro stood behind Karin, his stance obviously protective as he did, warning off anyone who might possibly try and hurt Karin despite they were with her family. His gaze found Ichigo, and if anything, his expression became more hostile, his eyes darkening with constrained anger. Yuzu sweat dropped, giggling nervously.

"Toshiro-kun! This is our Oniichan, Ichigo," she introduced, trying to be the peace keeper. Toshiro didn't react, just putting his arm around Karin's shoulders, which she didn't shrug off, leaning into him slightly despite her tough appearance, and her crossed arms. "Ichigo, this is Toshiro Ukitake. He moved onto the street three years ago with his family. He goes to Seireitie Academy. He's graduating this year," Yuzu informed him.

"He doesn't look older than an elementary student," Ichigo stated, and Toshiro grit his teeth, his eyes flashing angrily. Karin's hand stopped him from spitting back a retort, it going up to his wrist and gripping it tightly, her onyx eye warning him off. Ichigo growled, until a sharp cry emitted from the baby monitor in Rukia's lap. Rukia stood, and quickly strode from the room, beckoning Ichigo to follow. He did so after settign his water on the table and glaring heatedly at Toshiro. Yuzu immediately looked at Toshiro, apologising for her brother.

"Ara, Toshiro-kun! Gomennasaii! I don't know why he said such a mean thing!" Yuzu bowed, and Toshiro shrugged, brushing it off. The doorbell sounded, and Yuzu jumped, clasping her hands at her chest. "Oh! That's got to be Grimm-kun and the others!" she cheered happily. Yuzu skipped out of the room, and away from the awkward tension that had filled it. Toshiro looked at Isshin, who was now no longer wailing at the poster, but attempting to climb out the window to surprise his guests.

"He's a baka," he toned flatly, and Karin smirked, nodding. Despite her annoyance, she was fond of the idiot. He was her father, after all.

"**KARIIIIN-CHAAAN**!" a joyful shriek caused the black-haired girl to spin, just in time to catch one of her best friends as she launched herself at her. Lilynette Starkk latched onto Karin's neck, bouncing up and down happily.

"I haven't seen you in ages! Where have you been!" the light-green haired girl poked her friend in the chest, pouting playfully. She wore a white hat on her head, with pink flames on it, and black briefs. Her white boots were fur-lined, with black stripes, and he had on a white, high-collared vest over a vibrant pink boob-tube. Her arms were covered by white arm warmers, with a black strip up them. The girl wore some weird clothes sometimes. Her pink eyes latched onto Toshiro. "So you're the stick-in-the-mud that's stealing away my Karin-chan! Honestly!"

"Lil, we saw each other two weeks ago... I was on holiday," Karin rolled her eyes, and Lilynette punched her in the arm, puffing up sightly. Karin glared at the mischievous girl, who growled back.

"You left me alone for two weeks with no-one but Nel and Grimmjow and Okaasan to talk to! Hiyori went off with Shinji for a week as well! I was bored shitless, Karin! All Nel wants to talk about is her future as a teacher, make-up and shopping, and make out with Nnoitra now that they go out, **AGAIN**!" Lilynette moaned dramatically, fake-sobbing on Karin, who chuckled dryly and pat the girls head. "If I hear one more story about nail polish, I'm going to kill myself!"

"Yare, yare... pull yourself together, Lil. If Hiyori caught you crying about t like this, she kick your ass three ways from Sunday!" Karin demanded, and Lilynette looked sheepish, scratching the back of her short haired head casually. Karin shook her head in exasperation at her friend. "Honestly, Lil. You are so lucky we go back to school on Monday," Karin joked. Lilynette stuck her tongue out at Karin, then her expression turned serious.

"Ichi-nii is back then?" Lilynette asked rhetorically, and Karin scowled, nodding. "What are you going to do? You can't just let him..." Lilynette trailed off, as Karin got a sad look in her eyes, shrugging her shoulders tiredly. Lilynette frowned, and looked at Toshiro, who was glaring darkly at the wall, his finger intertwined with Karin's. Taking a deep breath, Lilynette pasted a large smile onto her lips. "What'd'you say we disappear up to your room with a bottle of vodka, eh?"

Karin smirked. "Sound's like a plan. Toshiro?" she looked at him questioningly, wondering if he was in, and he just squeezed her hand, knowing he wouldn't drink anything but keep an eye on them instead. The three teens slip out the living room, just as Rukia and Ichigo come back in, Ichigo gently rocking a moody Shiro, who had a fist gripping Ichigo's hair and a dark look on his face while sucking on his pacifier. Following closely behind them was Yuzu and Nel, then Tia, Starkk and Isshin, and finally Grimmjow. He cocked a blue eyebrow at Ichigo holding Shiro.

"You finally become domesticated then, Kurosaki?" he mocked, and Ichigo stared at him. Grimmjow winked, smirking. "Cause that's a real bummer. I'd hate for you to have gotten weak, Kurosaki. You still owe me that fight," Grimmjow coaxed, his tone dark, yet full of taunting laughter. Ichigo looked at Rukia, who rose her eyebrows and jerked her head, motioning to him to go and talk to the other man. Ichigo grumbled, and Rukia looked at him sternly, pushing him towards Grimmjow. Grimmjow rose one eyebrow, smirking slightly.

He was so _whipped_.

"Can we... talk?" Ichigo bit out, feeling more and more stupid by the minute. Grimmjow snorted, shoving his hands in his pocket. Ichigo closed his eyes, counted to ten, and then looked at Grimmjow seriously, while Shiro's eyes began to droop, his breaths becoming heavy. "Please?"

"Che, fine. But you gotta lose the kid, first," Grimmjow pointed, and Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Kami, I swear you've become a real pussy since you left, you know that Kurosaki?" Grimmjow sneered, as Ichigo led him through the house and up the stairs. Ichigo chuckled.

"Says the guy who attracts cats like moths to a flame," Ichigo taunted, and Grimmjow grimaced at the mention of his weakness. He loved cats, it was true. Somehow, they where drawn to him, and to be honest, it was rather nice for him to have that feeling of unwavering loyalty from something. Not that he would ever admit that out-loud. He had a reputation to think of. Ichigo kicked the door to Rukia's room open with his foot, and went over to the closet, it's door open.

"It's been ages since I was last in here. What'd you do? Create a shrine to Chappy?" Grimmjow said sarcastically, as he looked around. The walls were covered in posters of the deranged cartoon bunny, and the curtains and bed covers had bunnies and carrots all over them. On the desk was a Chappy lamp, with several plushies of the Chappy rabbit sitting up against the wall. On the floor was a Chappy head rug, and hanging on the back of the door was a Chappy board with Rukia's name on it.

"Shut it, this is Rukia's crap, not mine. You really think I'd put this shit up on my walls? I can't stand that bloody bunny," Ichigo grumbled, as he gently set Shiro down on the lush mattress, the toddler once again asleep after his brief period of unrest. Ichigo's calloused fingers brushed the dark spiky bangs from the pale boys face, his eyes oddly tender as he tucked Shiro in. He inhaled and exhaled slowly, before he shut the door again after turning on the night light.

Ichigo turned back to Grimmjow, unconsciously adopting the same stance of hands in pockets, legs apart and eyes narrowed. Grimmjow smirked at him. "So you want to tell me what this is about? Because there is alcohol that needs drinking and you're keeping me from it," Grimmjow jested bitingly. Ichigo looked at the floor under his feet, bowing his head. Then, with determined eyes, he looked back at Grimmjow.

"Sumimasen, Grimmjow," he atoned. Grimmjow's brows knitted together, and he scowled. Ichigo fixed his gaze steadily on him, watching his blue-haired friend for his reaction. "For when I left... for how I treated you and for how I ignored you... I apologise. I was wrong, and there is no excuse for the way I reacted. Please forgive me," Ichigo pulled his hands from his pockets and placed them palm to palm, bowing to Grimmjow. The blue-haired man rose an eyebrow in vainly concealed amusement.

His pulled his hands from his pockets, and took two strides over to Ichigo, who stood up straight. Grimmjow smirked, before he pulled his fist back and walloped him across the face. Ichigo staggered, falling backwards and grabbing his jaw. He rested his other hand on his knee, adjusting his jaw as stars littered his vision. "Shit... fuck man!" Ichigo gasped in pain., and Grimmjow chuckled darkly, holding out his hand.

"We're even. Now, stop begin such a pussy and lets have a drink. I think we both need to get properly wasted," Grimmjow rumbled, and Ichigo stood up straight, rubbing his bruised jaw.

"I haven't drank in four years, Grimmjow," he stated roughly, and Grimmjow snorted, responding 'Never a better time to start then!'. Ichigo rolled his eyes, grinning despite his frustration and threw an arm around Grimmjow's shoulders, messing up his hair playfully. "You're still a baka. Although... you can definitely hit harder now, then back then."

It was added as an afterthought, as he rolled his jaw again, but Grimmjow still grinned smugly. "Things change in four years. Thought you would have realised that by now, Kurosaki," Grimmjow mused, and Ichigo nodded. Things really had changed. Whether for the better or not, that was something that he had yet to find out.


	3. Chappy panties and Strawberry Boxers

So I really hope you like this chapter. The story is going to get a little darker from here on out, but because I am a die hard fluff fan, it'll probably have some fluffy-love in it too :P I hope you enjoy it, and I would love to hear all your opinions, no matter how long or short they are! I thrive on reviews :)  
Any questions you have, or reviews you leave, I will reply to in the **Review Responses!** area of the Authors note :) so please, if you want to know anything, I'll answer it best as I can there if you ask :)

**Hope you enjoy the chapter!**

**Review Responses! **

**Alyssa: **Don't worry, I don't think that lol :) I used to be exactly the same XP I'm so glad you like the IchiGrimm friendship. I always thought that when they weren't trying to kill each other, they could have been really great friends :) don't worry, we find out more about the Kuchiki's and the Kurosaki's soon enough ;) In my fan fiction, Rukia doesn't know a certain individual, however, he will be in the story at some point :) Ichigo's place of residence will become apparent in this chapter later :) xx  
**Kurukurupa**: Thank you for liking my story :) it always makes me happy to hear that people like my writing :)  
**Kittens Hellfire**: Thank you for the review! I tried to make the situation light, because the next view chapters are going to be totally angsty...  
**CrystalAmethyst**: Renji... well he's going to make an appearance VERY soon :P The father is still a secret, to be revealed later :) Ichigo's going to start to realise things soon. But not everything just yet. The fight, and its reasons will be revealed within the chapter after this one or the next one, and Ichigo's stress too. Hope that answers some of your questions :) I know they are quite vague, but I can't give away my plot (I kinda make it up as I write lol)  
**Starsandstuff:** Lol. I know, they are like the cutest ever :) Part of the reason that I used Grimmjow ;) I have no idea who I'm going to pair him with though...  
**Nora**: Thank you! nyah~ I am sooo glad you like the chapter! I hope you like this one too! Grimmy is cute :) I just love him (not as much as Byakuya though). Shiro only has Byakuya's eyes because of genetics :) Don't tell anyone, but Rukia isn't adopted in this fanfic :) It would have complicated things too much.  
**Imou: **Sooo happy you love this :) Promise to keep writing! xx  
**StackedActor52**: OMG! Hiyaaaa! I can't believe you actually read it :) You are sooo awesome! I am so glad you understand this and that you are impressed :) You rock!. Yeah, Rukia was stressed, but she's getting better (of course, that might just be the pain meds...). I don't know how Shiro is so cute, I just write him and he's adorable :) I love him lol. That Ichigo and Shiro moment was just a spur o the moment thing. It seemed to good to pass up lol. It's really difficult to write Isshin's character lo. He's so random... Definitely related to Maes Hughes, I agree. Ah yes... the glorious, buff, sexy... Mr. Fanservice (nice nickname :P). I tried to write him asclose to his character as possible, because that's how we all love him :) I love coming up with their outfits :) It's a lot of fun. More description in this chapter as well :) This is the longest review I've had, so thank you :) Laters xxx  
**  
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**Glossary**

Haha - Mother  
Kurosaki-lin - Kurosaki Clinic  
Dokuta - Doctor  
Ara - Oh  
Gomen Sumimasen- Sorry  
Yoshii - Alright?  
Arigatou - Thank You  
Joji - baby girl  
Kawaii - cute

* * *

**Her Sensei's Family**

After two hours, Rukia was realising that the neighbours across the street were... well... very weird. Starkk, almost instantly after he had arrived, sat on the couch and promptly passed out, snoring loudly. While it had given Rukia the chance to properly take in his appearance, it was still odd none the less. He was a middle aged man, around his mid-forties she guessed. His hair was thick and wavy, falling in dark brown, unkempt locks to his shoulders. His pointed jaw was stubbly and he had a small goatee on his chin. He had on a white shirt, with thin blue stripes on it, under a black fur-lined waist coat. He had on dark grey jeans, with a thick belt through the loops and a rather obnoxious belt buckle. He had on black cowboy boots, and had on white gloves that covered his hands.

He sprawled out over the couch, arms spread along the back, and legs wide open, toes pointed to the ceiling. His head was flung back, and his mouth was wide open as he snored. Rukia wondered idly where she was supposed to sit, with him taking up so much room.

"His brothers are nearly exactly the same," came an off-hand comment, and Rukia looked up to see Tia shaking her head in humour. Rukia took her in, her eyes roaming over the dark-skinned, curvy woman. She had short, messy blond hair, that was pulled into three loose braids, and startling green eyes that were framed by thick, blond lashes. Despite her curvy figure though, she dressed modestly, wearing a white turtleneck jumper under a denim jacket, and long, flared grey trousers. She had on black heels, and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Shunsui and Rojuro, also everyone calls him Rose. Rose, is the most active of the three, but he is still incredibly lazy, constantly messing with his guitar and reading Manga. Shunsui constantly drinks and sleeps. They are pretty much the only things he knows how to do. It's amazing Lisa is still with him, but I think she loves him too much to leave him, and they have a daughter, Nanao. She goes to your school, doesn't she?" Tia asked, looking at Rukia for the first time. Rukia nodded.

Nanao was part of her group of friends at her school. It was her, Momo, Nanao, Hisagi (Nanao's on/off boyfriend), Ikkaku and Yumichika. Only Nanao and Momo knew about Shiro, however. Rukia wasn't quite sure how she had been pulled into the group, after trying so hard to keep to herself and keep people way from her. But Momo had refused to give up, and dragged her into their group dynamic. That had been on the first day of her school year, and since then, she had grown to really adore her friends.

"It's a shame Ulquiorra-chan and Hime-chan were unable to come. They would have enjoyed this," Tia smiled to herself, and Rukia realised that she was no longer speaking to Rukia, more thinking out-loud to herself. She stepped away from her slowly, as Tia bent over Starkk, trying to wake him up. A hand suddenly grabbed her uninjured shoulder and whirled her round. She shook slightly, looking up to see the blue-haired man that she tried hard to avoid.

"Ara... Jaegerjaques-san..." she mumbled, as he practically dragged her to the drinks table where Ichigo stood, an amused expression on his face. Despite Grimmjow's attempts to get him to drink, he cup was filled only with orange juice. Rukia couldn't get out of his grip, despite how strong she was, she was only minuscule compared to the towering blue-haired man, and young as well. That, and she had one arm in a sling.

"Let's get some sake in you. I'm sick of being the only one drinking. Between this stiff, and that lot, I'm going to have to drink all this," Grimmjow gestured to the alcohol that covered that side, and Rukia sweat-dropped. Ichigo scowled as well. Rukia was still a teenager, it was illegal for her to drink. He set down his cup, placing his large hand on Grimmjow's shoulder and tugging him away from Rukia with a dark scowl. Grimmjow glared at him. "What? C'mon, Kurosaki! Quit ruining my fun! If you ain't gonna drink, she should!"

"She's a minor, Grimmjow. Even you know better than that. Just let it go," Ichigo argued, and Grimmjow rolled his eyes, responding 'Che, whatever'. He downed his cup of sake, and then reached to pour himself a new one, a sour expression on his handsome, if roguish features. Ichigo watched his nakama, as he sulkily drank his sake, and groaned, rolling his eyes. "Fine! Pour me a cup then!" he gave in, exasperated at Grimmjow's totally false, huffy attitude.

Ichigo shook his head, at Grimmjow's sudden dark grin. Rukia, sensing that now would be a rather appropriate time to escape, quickly shuffled away from the two friends and over to Yuzu and Nel. The long, blue-green haired girl beamed at her, her hazel eyes bright and welcoming. "Koizumi-san, would you like to join our conversation? We were discussing the amount of summer homework the school gives us. Do you think it is too much, or an appropriate amount for your year group?"

Nel wore a simple forest green turtleneck, with a white mini-skirt and white, fur-lined boots, with a white, puffy body-warmer. Rukia couldn't help but feel slightly jealous, as she took in the younger girls large breasts and curvy figure. It didn't seem fair that she was not only flat-chested, but also tiny at four foot eight, and was surrounded by large-chested, taller women and girls all the time. She kind off wished it would rub off on her a little. Even after having Shiro, her breasts hadn't gotten any bigger.

"Actually, Odelschwanck-san, I am going to check on Karin-chan, Gingerback-san and Toshiro-kun. They haven't been down for a while, nor have they eaten anything, and I'm slightly worried as to what they are doing. Please, continue your conversation," Rukia bowed politely, and Nel bowed her head, while Yuzu giggled slightly at their pleasantries and how polite the conversation was. Rukia excused herself once more, before silently leaving the room, stepping over Isshin's already prone form from his over-consumption of sake far too rapidly.

Rukia turned at the doorway, going up the stairs and coming to the door of Yuzu and Karin's room. Raising her hand to knock, she paused and pressed her ear to the door. She heard nothing from within, and scowled slightly. Opening the door, she peered in and rolled her eyes at the sight. The television that was propped on the chest of drawers in the corner behind the door flashed with images of some horror movie, while Lilynette was passed out on the floor at the foot of Karin's bed, squashed in a pile of pillows with a blanket over her. Drool dribbled down her chin and her make-up was smudged, smeared over her pale face.

She snorted and then burped in her sleep, rolling over and mumbling incoherently. Rukia chuckled slightly, and looked over at Toshiro and Karin, who were huddled on Karin's bed. Toshiro sat up against the headrest and the wall, his turquoise eyes looking back at Rukia. Karin's head rested on his shoulder, her arm draped across his stomach as she lay next to him, her eyes closed. Karin's green blanket covered them both, Toshiro from the waist down and Karin almost completely. Toshiro's arm draped over Karin, his thumb stroking circles on her arm soothingly as she moved even closer to him.

Rukia became sterner when she saw the half-empty, previously full bottle of vodka on the bedside table. Silently, she tip-toed into the room, and through the narrow space to the bedside table, and lifted it. Her fist closed around the bottle neck, and she looked at Toshiro. "Is Karin-chan asleep?" she whispered, and Toshiro gave her a curt nod. Rukia exhaled heavily, leaning over and brushing a stray, charcoal bang from Karin's face. "How is she?"

"She's fine. Sleeping," Toshiro stated coolly. Rukia rose her eyebrows at him, her face becoming gloomy and shadowed. Toshiro closed his eyes, letting his head fall back and squashing his white hair against the cream wall before he faced her again, his teeth grit. "Sumimasen, Rukia-san. She's... dealing with things in her own way," he told her, calmly. Rukia seemed saddened, before she stood up straight again.

"Are you staying here tonight?" she questioned quietly, her voice a mere breath. Toshiro once again nodded. "Yoroshii. Does Rangiku-san and Ukitake-san know?"

"Hai. Momo informed them when I text her half an hour ago," Toshiro's tone was formal and informative. He was closed off and guarded, but Rukia didn't take offence knowing it was just the way Toshiro treated everyone other than Karin, Momo and his Okaasan and Otousan. He was possibly the only one in his family to be so cold to others, so in control and in a way it reminded Rukia of her own Nii-sama. Detached, yet constantly caring of those he loved.

"Goodnight then, Toshiro-kun. I shall see you tomorrow," Rukia wished him, and he bowed his head in respond. Rukia turned and left the room, carefully stepping over Lilynette's extended leg, and closing the door behind her. The television was on an automatic timer, and would switch off after midnight. Rukia stared at the bottle in her hand, before shaking her head in both disappointment, and bad memories. She set it on the floor outside the door, and prodded to her room, suddenly really tired even though it was only eight-thirty.

As she carefully removed her sling, and took of her vest and top. Rukia ignored the protests of her dulled shoulder, feeling weary and worn as she slipped her trousers down slender, pale skinned legs. Rather than fold them and put them out of the way in her washing basket, she left them there on the floor, feeling lazy. She could sort it in them morning before she went to work. She stopped her movements, and then realized that she didn't have work tomorrow because she had to take sick leave because of her shoulder.

Apparently Isshin had called Urahara at some point, and told him about her injury. He had automatically granted her six weeks of recovery time, which was half the amount of time it would take for her shoulder to properly heal. She was lucky the joint had only been relocated, not fractured and she had not required surgery, otherwise she would be out of work for even longer. Rukia had to keep her arm as immobilised as possible for four weeks, before she was allowed to start the exercises she would have to do to attempt to restore it to it's previous, usable condition.

After carefully putting on her pyjama top, and using one hand to pull up her pyjama bottoms, she returned her arm to the sling at a ninety degree angle. It was a pain, having to sleep on her back because of it, but it was a price she would have to pay. She was just lucky it wasn't her writing hand, or she would be able to do any of her school work when they went back on Monday. She was lucky that Rangiku-san had offered to take Shiro once again while she was at school, otherwise she would never be able to go.

Then again, Rangiku was a bored housewife, with nothing better to do than clean, shop and drink. Looking after Shiro seemed to be the best part of her day, when Rukia really thought about it. Of course, the funny thing was that Rangiku really didn't get along with children that weren't her own.

Rukia's chest rose and fell slowly, as she stared at the blank white of her ceiling. She would take Shiro down to the Urahara cafe anyway, tomorrow... Then to the park. He would enjoy the swings. She might even take a picnic. Invite Yuzu and Karin and Isshin along. With a smile on her face, she slowly drifted to sleep, the sound of Shiro's breathing on the Baby Monitor and rambunctious party on the first floor lulling her into a deep slumber.

Rukia woke some time later, when she felt her mattress depress. She opened her hazy eyes, sleepily looking to where the weight was and saw a grumbling Ichigo struggle to take off his blazer. His movements were sloppy, and drunk. Rukia rubbed her eyes sleepily, her vision still clouded as she tried to wake up enough to tell him off. He eventually got his blazer and shirt off and lifted his t-shirt over his head. The minute he had, his bruised head dropped like a dead weight to his pillow, facing her, his arm dropping around her waist limply. Rukia grit her teeth when he jostled her arm, pain sharp and then dulling when he settled.

He wasn't under the blanket and so from the moonlight streaming through her windows, the curtains open, she could see ever muscle in his torso, the tanned skin white under the moonlight. Her eyes were wide, as Ichigo drunkenly pulled her closer to him, his nose burying into her neck. "Night, She-hic-nna," he slurred, and Rukia furrowed her eyebrow, her free fist clenching between her side and his stomach, were it was trapped. She was really going to kill him when he woke up tomorrow.

**XoXoX**

Somehow, Rukia had managed to detract herself from Ichigo the next morning when Shiro began babbling over his baby monitor, signifying he was awake. After Ichigo waking her initially, she hadn't been able to get to sleep again, just lay staring out the window at the moon until the sun finally rose at six that Saturday morning. It was two hours before Shiro woke up, after the sun rising, and it now bathed her in warm light, the early morning heat just a preview of the day to come.

She lifted Ichigo's surprisingly heavy limb from her waist, shifting away from him towards the wall, and standing on her bed, clambering over him. It wasn't easy, he seemed to expand as she tried to get over him, but eventually she dropped to the floor, onto his t-shirt and shirt. Rolling her eyes at the obvious smell of alcohol on them, she went over to the wardrobe and opened the door, putting her finger over her lip when Shiro opened his mouth to yell at her, his pacifier still in it.

He closed his mouth, gazing up at her with wide, rested grey eyes, before he held up his arms. With difficult, Rukia bent and scooped him up with her usable arm, cursing him for getting so heavy. Shiro prodded the skin under her eyes with a small finger, a frown under his pacifier as he sucked on it.

"Dawk," he sounded, and Rukia scowled. Of course she had dark shadows under her eyes. She hadn't had a proper nights sleep since Wednesday. It was Saturday! She had no idea how she was going to survive Monday at school at this rate. If she didn't get a decent night of sleep soon, she was going to pass out. She glared silently over at Ichigo's snoring form on her bed, before leaving the room, not closing the door behind her because of holding Shiro in her only free arm. After thinking for a moment, she set him on the floor, and held out her hand to him.

"No running," she insisted, and Shiro poured, taking her offered hand. Rukia wanted to cry a little, because Shiro already nearly reached her waist, having inherited his father height obviously, rather then hers. He was two foot tall... While the average height for toddlers his age, it made her look even shorter at four foot eight. Rukia scowled unhappily. She was the smallest out of her entire family. It wasn't fair. She tip-toed down the hall next to Shiro, who toddled happily, looking at the walls and doors as if they were something entirely different from the floor, rather than Rukia's arms.

When they got to the staircase, Rukia stepped down one stair at a time, leading Shiro who seemed to want to rush ahead. He didn't though, staying next to Rukia every step of the way to the kitchen/living room/dining room. Rukia was surprised to see Toshiro and Yuzu already up, the room spotless despite the party the night before. Toshiro was sitting at the table, tapping away at his cell phone and drinking a coffee, while Yuzu made breakfast, her movements swift and paced as she prepared the different parts of the food.

The rice cooker steamed diligently in the corner, while fish grilled in a pan, and miso soup bubbled away on the stove. Yuzu chopped pickled vegetables rapidly, and only paused to look over at Shiro and Rukia. "Ohayo, Rukia-nee, Shiro-chan," she beamed, and Rukia, despite her tiredness, gestured in a 'morning' motion. Toshiro scowled, looking at her and responding 'Don't call me Shiro-chan'. Yuzu furrowed her eyebrows.

"I was talking to Shiro," she informed him, gesturing to the black haired, cream skinned toddler. Toshiro blinked over to Shiro and Rukia, and Shiro gazed back, before glowing up at him, pointing at him.

"Shiro!" he cheered, gazing up at Rukia, as if for approval. Rukia smiled at him, nodding as she let go of his hand and pushed him towards the table. Shiro pulled away from her and went over to Toshiro, placing his hands on his denim clad leg. He gazed up at him with big, grey eyes. Toshiro, who had gone back to his phone, flicked his gaze to Shiro. The toddler sucked mindlessly on his pacifier. His white footed, sleep-suit was decorated by little blue bunny heads, with a blue rim around the neck and a zipper up the front.

"What do you want?" he asked bluntly. Shiro giggled. Toshiro looked over at Rukia, who was putting a bottle of milk into the microwave, for some help, but she just hummed to herself, ignoring his stare. He could get himself out of this. She had things to do. Toshiro glared at her back, before looking at the boy again. "Go away."

"No."

Toshiro's eyebrows shot up, and he grit his teeth at the stubborn Shiro. The boy grinned back behind his pacifier, and managed to jam his foot onto the chair climbing up onto Toshiro's lap. Toshiro held his hands up, his eye twitching as he looked at a complete loss. Shiro cocked his head, before grabbing Toshiro's hair. Surprisingly, this was the first time Shiro had ever met Toshiro, despite the fact that Rangiku, Toshiro's mother, took care of Shiro when Rukia was at school.

"NANI! Let go!" Toshiro snapped, frustrated as Shiro tugged on his hair, standing up on his lap. Yuzu quickly removed Shrio from Toshiro, leaving her cooking to lift the wriggly, bubbly boy and set him in his high chair. Shiro clapped his hands, laughing at Toshiro who was now trying to smooth his hair.

"Wak-jo!" he cheered, and Rukia paused in screwing the cap onto his bottle, her eyebrows furrowing as she stared at her son, and then making eye contact with Yuzu. The fifteen year old gir's eyelids fluttered, as she frowned at Shiro. "Wak-jo, wak-jo! Haha's a wak-jo!" the boy repeated, banging his small fists against the little shelf of his high chair. Yuzu sweat-dropped and Rukia's expression fell into one of supreme shock. Did her son... just call her a whack-job?

"Shiro-chan! You can't say that! Naughty!" Yuzu admonished, and Shiro pouted, his face scrunching up. The smell of burning distracted Yuzu, however, and she rushed back to the stove, removing the tamagoyaki from the heat, and using her spatula to transfer it to a plate. The rice cooker pinged, signalling it was finished. Rukia moved out the way, taking the now warm bottle of milk to Shiro, who guzzled it greedily.

"What time did everyone leave last night, Yuzu-chan?" Rukia asked, as she sat in her seat next to Shiro's high chair, between Toshiro and Shiro. Yuzu placed a bowl of rice in front of her, and a small plate with some vegetables, tamagoyaki and fish. Rukia accepted it gratefully, reaching for her chopsticks that where beside her place-mate. Yuzu answered as she diligently poured Rukia a cup of tea.

"Starkk-san and Harribel-san left at ten, but Grimm-kun stayed until just after midnight. Nel and I walked him back to his home, and I cleaned up before I retired for the evening. Oniichan had disappeared while we were taking Grimm-kun home. Oyaji went to bed at eleven," Yuzu reiterated. She had already informed Toshiro of this before Rukia had come down for breakfast. Rukia acknowledged her, as she chewed on her rice and some fish. Shiro, having finished his bottle threw it to the floor.

"Want yummy!" he stated loudly, pointing to Rukia's rice. Yuzu smiled fondly, kissing his forehead, as she picked up the bottle and placed it next to the sink. She put some tamagoyaki into a small bowl, and a little fish, before adding some rice for the eager toddler. Taking a plastic fork out the cutlery drawer, she placed them both in front of Shiro. He went to grab it with his hands, and Yuzu instantly held up one finger, her eyes stern as she said 'No' sharply and sternly. She put the fork in his hand, and guided his arm, scooping some rice onto the fork and then directing it to his mouth.

Shiro knitted his eyebrows, as he looked at his fork and his hand and his bowl. Yuzu watched him momentarily, as he tried to repeat her guiding movements, a look of utmost concentration on his round face. Rukia thought it was adorable when he shoved his fork in is mouth, nearly missing. She turned her attention back to Yuzu. "Ara, Yuzu-chan, what are your plans for today?" rukia questioned, and Yuzu put her finger to chin, a hand in the bubble filled sink as she thought to herself.

"Ah, I am going to see Eriko-chan, Kagami-chan and Mikuru-chan. We haven't been able to see each other for a while, and I thought it would be nice to surprise them. Hanataro-kun told me they were meeting up at the cafe he works in today at eleven," Yuzu chimed, and Rukia went Oh' in understanding, feeling somewhat disappointed. Then she gave Yuzu a gracious look.

"That sound like it will be fun! I hope you enjoy yourself," she said, her voice full of fake cheer. Yuzu nodded, going back to her washing up. Rukia finished her food quickly, and piled her dishes together, placing them next to the sink to be washed. She had learned not to try and stop Yuzu when she was doing the cleaning. The girl was oddly territorial over the kitchen sink... "Are you and Karin-chan going to be going out today, Toshiro-kun?" Rukia asked, and he nodded silently, looking at her briefly, before going back to his phone.

"GOOD MORNING!" a loud yell called them all to start, and Shrio to cheer as Isshin bounded in the room, not at all affected by the over-consumption of alcohol he had been involved with. "How are my gorgeous, beautiful children today! Come give Oyaji a big hug, Rukia-chan!" Isshin ordered, and Rukia sweat-dropped, unconsciously raising her fist and punching him across the jaw when he flew at her. Isshin went flying backwards into the back of the coch, and Rukia pasted a sweet, innocent expression on her face.

"Oh, dear, Isshin-outosan! Gomen, I thought I saw a bee," she cooed in a sickly sweet tone that caused Toshiro to smirk as he flicked his eyes over to her in amusement. It was teh same tone she used with their teachers and classmates. Isshin immediately sobbed, assuring her that he understood completely that she had been trying to save him from a nasty bee that could kill him. He flew to his poster of Masaki.

"Oh MASAKI! Our third daughter loves me so much! You would be so proud!" Isshin cried. Dull footsteps padded into the kitchen, and Karin shuffled in, her hair loose and limp hanging all around her, her shorts hanging off her hip and her tank-top crumpled. Her onyx eyes glowered darkly at her Oyaji for waking her, her fists clenched and teeth bared.

"Shut it, Goat-face. It's too early for your crap," she growled. Isshin sniffed, going quiet as Karin fell into a chair, her head falling back and partially sitting on her long black locks. Almost instantly, a plate of food and bowl of rice appeared in front of her. She turned green slightly, but thanked Yuzu for it with a grunt. Rukia had her back to them all now, popping two pills from the small blister pack they were kept in. She put them in her mouth, and then chugged some of her now cooler tea to swallow them down.

Then she slipped the blister pack back into the cardboard box they lived in and returned it to the medicine cupboard clenching her right hand repeatedly to keep the blood flow in it. Shiro decided at that point that he was bored, and stomped his feet against his foot rest, bashing his hands on his food tray. "Up! Wanna up! Toy!" he called out. He looked at Rukia huffily, and Karin glowered at him for making so much noise and aggravating her headache.

Isshin grabbed him from under his raised arm, catching the boy by surprise, and spun, beaming at him. Shiro wailed, before going silent, looking slightly green. Isshin stopped twirling when Shiro went quiet, and looked at him confused, until Shiro vomited on his red and black shirt. Rukia gasped, while Yuzu whimpered. Karin blinked before retching and covering her mouth, running from the room. After a minute, Toshiro flipped his phone shut and followed her.

"Isshin-outosama!" Rukia's hand flew to her mouth. Yuzu quickly took Shiro from her shell-shocked father's arms, holding the crying boy and wiping the corners of his mouth with her apron. Isshin peered down at the creamy, chunky liquid that covered his shirt, dribbling down and dripping onto his black shoe with surprise. His jaw dropped, and he turned and ran from the room, shrieking. Rukia went to Shiro, who was in Yuzu's arms still. "Aww, my poor Shiro... poor akachan..."

She kissed his forehead, feeling bad that she was unable to properly give him a cuddle and hold him. Shiro sniffed, tears in the corners of his eyes. He held out his hands, wanting to go to her, and Rukia looked forlorn as she bit her lip. Yuzu smiled, and lifted Shiro, so he could latch his arms around Rukia's neck. She held him in place, until Rukia slipped her left arm under him, holding him, and moved her sling out the way she she had her right hand holding his back.

Shiro's small face buried into Rukia's neck, and Rukia rested her chin on top of his head. Satisfied, Yuzu went back to her washing up, and cooking, while Rukia softly shushed Shiro swaying from left to right. "It's okay... Shiro-chan... it's okay..." she calmed him, as she carried him out of the room and up the stairs to her bedroom. She stopped in the doorway, glaring at the still sleeping Ichigo. His arm hung off the beg limply and his legs were spread wide. His mouth hung open slightly and his breaths where long and deep.

"...Baka-berry," she grumbled, as she set Shiro on the floor, and grabbed a change of clothes for her and Shiro, and a diaper. Shiro stood and toddled over to Ichigo, his hands on the mattress as he peered at the sleeping man's face. "Come on Shiro, time to get dressed," she called, and he looked at her over his shoulder, before padding after her, diaper feeling heavy.

**XoXoX**

It had been difficult changing Shiro's diaper, and dressing him with one hand, but Rukia had coped after he stopped fighting with her. She had had to be stern and give him a brief talking to, but he had behaved for a bit after that. His diaper, aside from wiping his bottom, had been relatively simple. Just a case of undoing tabs, slipping the diaper from under him and replacing it with a fresh one. His trousers had been a little difficult to get up, but not too hard. His vest and t-shirt had been the most difficult to get on, but after twenty minutes of struggling he had been fully dressed.

He had on dark blue denim jeans, which were rolled up slightly at the cuffs, and little white canvas shoes. His t-shirt had a folded collar and was light blue with white stripes. Over it he had on a light grey hoodie, with pockets up the front. It had a dark blue lining. Almost sneakily, Rukia had dressed in corresponding colours. She had on a light blue cross-over dress, that had a sheer hem and a small, frilled dark blue crop cardigan over it. On her feet she had on grey heeled boots with silver buckles around the ankles. Her black hair hung loose around her shoulders, and she had on a small Chappy necklace pendant around her neck.

She was pleased with the overall result, as she pushed Shiro's pushchair (with great difficulty) to Momo Ukitake's home. At the end of the street. After a little debate, she had text her friend asking if she wanted to join and Momo had responded as expected, over excitedly and insisting 'Yes!' repeatedly. The excitable girl was waving, bouncing up and down. "Rukia-chan!" Momo said happily, rushing over from her garden's gate to Rukia and Shiro.

Momo threw her arms around Rukia's neck, hugging her tightly. She made sure to only hug Rukia's left side, having heard about Rukia's shoulder from Toshiro, who had been told by Karin. "I can't believe we have to go back to school on Monday. Have you managed to get any of your Summer homework done? Kurotsuchi-sensei gave us loads, twenty whole pages of work, and Ishida-sensei gave us thirty pages of Math work!" Momo moaned.

Rukia shook her head at the black haired girl, who's hair was pulled into a bun at the back of her head inside a tied, pale pink cloth. Her brown eyes glowed as she rambled on about her homework, having not spoken to Rukia in a week. Momo was just three inches taller than Rukia. She had on white pumps, with a short, vibrant yellow skirt, and a white top with a flowered edge. Around her neck she had a loose, pale yellow scarf and she had on a dark pink waterfall cardigan. A small yellow bag hung across her chest.

Momo paused in her tirade. "Do you want me to push him? It can't be easy for you to do it with one hand," Momo questioned kindly, placing her hand on Rukia's shoulder. Rukia scowled, wanting to respond that she could do it herself, insist stubbornly that she could handle it. But she didn't. Instead she just stepped aside and let Momo take over pushing him. Momo's face actually seemed brighter, and Rukia wondered if Momo had offered for her benefit, or because she had just wanted to push the pram.

"I got my homework done the first few days of the holiday, in order to free up the rest of my time. If I had left it too late, I would never have done it and forgotten," Rukia shrugged. She was practical that way. Momo pouted, not having thought to do it the way Rukia had and left it all to the last week of the holidays. "Isshin-outosama's son came home on Thursday," Rukia told Momo casually, and Momo looked at her, eyes wide.

"Really? The hottie with the body?" she asked, and Rukia rose her eyebrows. Momo flushed, turning slightly pink as they walked slowly down the street. "I saw pictures of him from when we were invited over y Kurosaki-dokuta. When he was teenager he was extremely well-built," Momo explained, and Rukia frowned, an unsettled feeling in her stomach. He wasn't well-built! At all! And he most definitely was not a '_hottie_'. Her face darkened and she rapidly fought down those thoughts. Even if he was, she wouldn't care. He was irritating.

"What's he like then? I've only hear stories from Karin and Yuzu about him," Momo questioned. She was curious about the look on Rukia's face. And the way she had just 'casually' mentioned it made Momo think that Rukia really wanted to talk about this man. She knew her friend, quite well, she liked to believe, and she could tell Rukia was interested in him. Even if Rukia didn't admit it. Rukia prevented herself from launching into a rant about how annoying and intruding Ichigo was, and spoke rationally.

"I don't really know him that well. We have't really spoken that much and when we do, it's usually him calling me a midget, or me telling him off for doing something stupid. He does that a lot, though, I've noticed," Rukia waved her hand, a flash of annoyance on her face, before she looked down at Shiro tenderly. "He is really good with Shiro though... I think it's because he used to look after his imouto's all the time. Otherwise, I would have thought he had had children of his own, you know?"

"Maybe he has," Momo shrugged. Rukia nearly fell over, stumbling slightly at her words. "Maybe he has a wife and kids in America, and he's here to sort out a place for them to live when they come over. Didn't you ever think about that?"

Rukia's jaw clenched, her face shadowing slightly. What was it Ichigo had called her? Shenna? Senna? Her gut twisted painfully, and she scowled. Stupid feelings. She didn't care. Even if he did have a wife and kids it was none of her business anyway. Momo looked at her, pausing as they strolled towards the Shoten, people passing them and walking around them. Her eyes were concerned, and a small frown on her lips as she took in her friends stance and expression.

"Rukia-chan... it wouldn't be good for you to get to close to him. Even if he is good with Shiro, he is still older than us and you barely know him. He has a whole life that you know nothing about. If you get attached to him, and he leaves to go to America again, whether or not he has a wife, it'll only hurt you," Momo sighed, worried for Rukia. Rukia looked at her sharply, glaring at her almost coldly. It was a look that the teenage mother had never before given her, and Momo had to admit, it was rather uncomfortable and scary to get it.

"I don't care about him like that, Momo. Do not get the wrong idea, he's just some baka who hit me with his car and happened to be Isshin-outosan's son. I have no intention of getting 'attached' to him, nor would I even want to be. He is an orange-haired, stubborn-ass idiot who can't hold his drink," Rukia stated, and her tone signified that the conversation was over, as she stared forward and began walking again. Momo quickly caught up with her, the pushchair jostling as she rushed to catch up with Rukia. Shiro was asleep in it.

"Gomen, Rukia-chan. I didn't mean to make you mad, please forgive me!" Momo pouted. Rukia looked at her out the corner of her eye, before bitign her lip as she snorted. Momo pulled the most ridiculous face, her eyes squinted up and nose scrunched, sticking her tongue out at Rukia. Rukia laughed loudly, like tinkling bells andput her hand over Momo's face.

"Stop it, stop it! You're forgiven, just stop pulling that face!" Rukia cackled. Momo grinned happily, bouncing slightly as she pushed Shiro again. The sun's rays were warm as they shone down on them, lighting up the streets as they walked down them. When the small group arrived at Urahara's, it was not busy, but not empty. A few people where mulling around teh Shoten, and there were a couple of groups hanging in the cafe, eating and laughing.

Ururu, another younger waitress who lived with Urahara, carried a tray over to a table, clearing up the dirty dishes. She had on a long pink skirt with white spots decorating it, and a white t-shirt, under a grey apron. She had on flowery flip-flops on her feet, nd her black hair was pulled into ponytails on either side of her head, a stray bang hanging between her purple, sad-looking eyes. Her cheeks where red and flushed as she went from the tables into the back of the kitchen and back again.

"Kouzumi-san, Ukitake-san! Welcome to my humble little Shoten! What brings you two adorable beauties here on this fine summers day?" the instantly irritating voice of Kisuke Urahara distracted the two teens. He appeared in front of them out of nowhere, grey eyes shadowed by his stripy bucket hat, sly smirk covered by a white fan. His black, diamond decorated hair bellowed around him, worn over a green shirt and pants. On his feet he wore traditional wooden Japanese sandals. His entire outfit made him look exactly like the creepy pervert he was.

"We came for lunch, Urahara-san. No other reason, so please, excuse us," Rukia informed him, her tone icy. The man was irritating enough as her boss. She didn't want to associate him when she wasn't working. Urahara gave her a mock, saddened look, flipping his fan shut.

"Aww, now there is no need to be like that, Kouzumi-san! Not when I've been so nice with letting you have all that time off work and not even took away your pay! Besides! We have some guests for you in the back room that I think you will really wish to see!" Urahara smirked, and Rukia stared at him, her eyes wide. A breath 'who' crossed her lips, and Urahara smirked, gesturing to the back of the store. "Why don't you go find out, my lovely Kouzumi-san?"

Rukia turned to Momo, her eyes wide and pleading, and the teen sighed, exasperated. "Go. I'll order us some sandwiches and tea. We'll wait out here," Momo waved her hand in a 'be gone with you' motion. Rukia glowed, and hugged her with one arm, saying 'Arigatou' and then dodging past the tables and Ururu through to the back of the store. Momo shook her head, and then looked at Urahara. He was grinning wolfishly, and Momo rolled her eyes. "Later, Urahara-san."

She left him at the doorway, going to sit down.

Rukia turned into the room that Urahara frequently used for the staff meetings and such, and slid the door open. She froze, her eyes widening and her jaw dropping as she took in the three forms in the room. The soft, delicate frame of her Nee-chan, the serene, elegant face of her Nii-sama's wife, and the spiky red hair of her old bodyguard and friend. Her Nee-chan sat in the centre, wearing a plain white kimono with a light yellow obi under a sakura blossom haori. She sat on a cushion, her knees folded under her gracefully and her hands in her lap. On her right sat her Nii-sama's wife, wearing a pink haori decorated with black butterflies and white flowers, and a light pink kimono with purple obi and purple blossoms in the hem. Rukia's bodyguard was to her left, legs crossed in a black shihakusho, which was mandatory of her families bodyguards to wear as it was loose and allowed for easy movement. He looked bored, his elbow on his knee and his jaw resting on the palm of his hand.

"Renji! Hisana-nee! Megumi-sama!" she gasped, and the almost identical woman smiled at her softly.

"Hello, Rukia-chan."

**XoXoX**

Ichigo woke when he felt his phone start to vibrate in his trousers. Grumbling, he sat up on the bed, shuffling around to find the offending object which disturbed his peaceful sleep. He hadn't slept that well in months... He flipped the Motorola open, and glared at the name. Pressing the green button, he put it to his ear, rubbing his temples.

"What'd'ya want, Ishida," he growled, swinging his feet over the side of the bed, his knuckles pressing into the mattress. He glared at the floor, waiting for a reply from the man that was both his best friend, and arched rival.

'Good afternoon to you too, Kurosaki. I see you are still as eloquent as ever,' the smarmy, up-himself voice replied. Ichigo grunted in reply, his amber eyes going to his alarm clock. It was twelve o'clock. 'I am calling, despite your brute, caveman reply, I am inviting you to lunch with Inoue-san, Tatsuki, Sado and I. We expect you at the Urahara Shoten in the next half an hour.'

"Did you not think maybe I had plans today, Ishida? Maybe I can't come for lunch," Ichigo spat, not really being serious but still wanting to put up an argument anyway. He could practically feel Uryu's 'better-than-thou' smirk, and hear him roll his eyes. Ichigo bit back a growl, as he stood, going over o his bedroom drawers. He opened it, expecting to see neatly folded boxers lined up according to their color, and froze when he saw a messy bundle of different lace panties, cartoon covered boy-shorts and silk knickers in different colors and patterns. A blush rose up his necks, slowly covering his cheeks and turning his ears red.

Lifting a pair of boy shorts, he blanched at the bunny heads that decorated them, 'Chappy!' written on the elastic along the top. He dropped them back into the drawer as if they burned him, slamming it shut and stumbling backwards, falling onto his bed again. His amber eyes frantically took in the Chappy memorabilia and decorations, as a horrifying realization dawned on him. _He had slept in Rukia's room… He had slept with Rukia_! Ichigo paled, his grip on his phone tightening as he dragged himself off the bed once more, eyes darting about. _What happened? Why didn't she kick him out? Where was she? And Shiro? _

'You still there, Kurosaki?' Uryu questioned on the other end of the phone, snapping him out of his blind panic. He nodded, and remembered he was on the phone and replied 'Hai'. 'Will you be joining us? I know it's been a while since you last saw Orihime and Tatsuki. She's gotten married since you left.'

"Yeah, sure, whatever. I'll be there in half an hour, yoshii?" he asked, as he scrambled to pick up his shirt and blazer and t-shirt. Uryu scoffed on the other end, away to reply some sarcastic comment but Ichigo hung up, flipping his phone shut and tearing from Rukia's room. The house was silent, empty. He had been left alone by everyone, even his idiot Oyaji. He pounded down the stairs, going into the main area of the house and looking around for any sign of another person.

On the table was a plate of food and a bowl of rice, covered with cling-film. A paper note was folded up beside it, and he dropped his bundle of clothes and Motorola onto the table, picking up the note. His calloused fingers made fast work of unfolding it, scanning it quickly to find out what he wanted to know.

_Oniichan,  
Rukia-nee and Shiro have gone out for the day to the park. Karin-chan is with Toshiro at the Ukitake's house until tomorrow, and Otousan had to go to Ishida-san's hospital. I have gone out with some friends and will be home at five to make dinner.  
__Please enjoy your lunch,  
__Yuzu-chan  
__xxx_

Ichigo frowned. What was that idiot Oyaji of his up to now? Brushing the curiosity from his mind, he looked at the clock and muttered 'crap' as he dumped his clothes in the washing basket. Stripped down to his boxers, he grabbed a change of clothes from his suitcase next to the television and tugged his boxers down his legs, changing them for a pair of black ones with red strawberries on them. They had been a gift, that he just couldn't throw out, despite how they irritated him. His denim jeans were frayed up the thigh and torn at the knees. He looped a studded belt through the jeans, and grabbed his white, black striped shirt. It was taut over his chest as he did it up and tight on his biceps and arms. He rolled the sleeves up, leaving his top two buttons undone and putting a loose black tie around his neck.

He picked up his black, high collared waistcoat, with a white hem on the collar and two zip pockets on either side. It had studs up the lapels and three buttons to do it up. After shoving his feet into his black leather biker boots, he grabbed the house keys and his car keys from beside the fridge and ran down the stairs out the side exit to the Kurosaki house. His car, red and gleaming was still parked outside the front of the clinic.

Secretly, he adored his car. It was one of his most prized possession. A red Porsche Panamera turbo, he had owned it since he was twenty-two. It had been a gift... Despite the fact that he had left and now gone back to Japan, his car was still his, and he naturally took it with him. He relished the steady purr of the engine, and grinned widely as it roared to life, tearing down the street. He grumbled when he had to stop at a stop light, nameless faces and people he didn't know crossing the road in front of him. With a rev, he barraged forward again, the light going green and allowing him through.

He got out the Porsche at the Shoten just as Uryu, Orihime, Tatsuki and Sado arrived. Tatsuki and Orihime had linked arms, Tatsuki wearing a pair of Capri, camo pants with pockets all up the legs, and a black crop top that was made of mesh revealing a black bra underneath. Over it she wore a dark green waistcoat with pockets over the breasts. On her feet she had combat boots made of black leather with steel cap toes. Her hair was still short and spiky, a tell-tale smirk on her face as she cracked her knuckles wearing fingerless black gloves on her hands. Her brown eyes sparkled with anticipation behind sunglasses that almost made Ichigo worried.

Orihime looked the exact opposite, wearing a light pink, flowery top with no sleeves and a Manderin style collar, silver nots holding it shut over her large bust. Her mint green skirt had several frilly layers, falling to just above her knees and on her feet she wore a pair of pink shoes, with ribbons wrapped up her legs and tied into a bow at her knee's. Her flowing strawberry blond locks were pulled out of her face into a loose ponytail, bangs framing her face. Around her neck hung two blue crystal flower pendants. Her brown eyes were joyful and energetic as always, as she waved eagerly at Ichigo, her nails painted pink and nearly hitting Uryu in the face with her small green handbag as she did so.

"Kurosaki-kun!" she cheered, she she let go of Tatsuki's arm, bounding over to him and throwing her arms around his neck, practically crushing him with her breasts. Ichigo gasped slightly at the sudden weight, and breathed heavily when the woman let him go, blushing pink. "Ara, gomen, Kurosaki-kun! I just couldn't believe it was really you! It's been so long! I thought Ishida-kun was lying when he told me you had called him asking if you could come work at our school!"

"It's fine, Inoue..." Ichigo smiled with some effort, holding onto his chest and Orihime glowed, hugging him again. Ichigo rose his eyebrows, and she clasped her hands in front of her chest after she let him go. An ecstatic expression caused her to radiate. Ichigo suddenly winced, when he felt Tatsuki's fist smash into his arm. Ichigo glared at her, as she grinned darkly at him. "Good to see you too, Tatsuki. What the fuck was that for?"

"That was for missing Orihime's wedding, you baka. This is for not getting in touch in four years!" She drove her knee into his stomach, causing Ichigo to bend over in agony. He grabbed her shoulder, his eyes flashing dangerously as he grit his teeth. Muttering 'bitch' under his breath, he straightened up as much as possible. Tatsuki chuckled. "Good to have you back, Ichigo," she nudged him softly and he grinned back, albeit a little strained. He looked over at Chad and Uryu.

Ishida wore a grey suit, with an un-tucked white shirt and no tie. His suit was pressed and had a straight crease down the legs. His dark, raven coloured hair was pulled into a low ponytail at the base of his neck, holding all his hair back from his face apart from his bangs, and his glasses sat on the ridge of his nose over blue eyes. His skin was as pale as ever, and he had a cross earring in on ear. He eyed Ichigo's car for a moment, before pushing his glasses up his nose with his middle finger, a sly smile on his lips.

"Nice car, Kurosaki Compensating for something?" he said snidely, and Ichigo smirked in response.

"You would know all about that, wouldn't you Ishida?" he retorted sarcastically, and Uryu merely glared at him. Ichigo ran his hand through his hair, turning to his giant Hispanic friend. He towered over them all at 6'7. He wore an open yellow shirt decorated with large orange flowers, over a white vest that contrasted with his dark skin. Black trouser clung to his legs, and his feet were covered by brown loafers. His shaggy brown hair hung over his eyes, and it looked as if other than growing a couple more inches, he hadn't changed at all since Ichigo had last seen him. Around his neck hung a familiar gold coin. Sado nodded silently in greeting.

Ichigo responded in kind, a smile on his face. "Can we eat now? I'm starving," Ichigo grumbled after a minute, and Orihime cheered, jumping on the spot. She was hungry. He stomach rumbled loudly, as if to announce this fact to the others. Orihime blushed as the others of the group laughed. The walked into the Shoten looking like something out of a movie, everything around them almost going silent as they entered. They were a group of uncannily beautiful people, entering the Shoten, and all eyes were on them as they sat at a table, not paying any notice to it as they chatted among themselves. It was like when they were teenagers again.

Orihime sat with her knees pulled under her on the chair, slumping forward on the table while Tatsuki sat back, letting her head fall back and arms spreading over the backs of Orihime's and Uryu's chairs, her legs spread under the table. Uryu sat up straight, his legs crossed and his arms crossed, a smirk on his lips as he bowed his head slightly. Sado looked comfortable, yet had impeccable posture as he rested his hands on the table, feet flat on the floor. Ichigo sat with his hands behind his head, legs crossed and a familiar scowl on his lips as he surveyed the other customers in the cafe. He shot up straight, however, when he saw Shiro.

Orihime frowned slightly. "Kurosaki-kun, what's wrong?" she questioned, seeing the change in his previously relaxed posture. Ichigo didn't answer her, his eyes on Shiro and some girl he didn't know. She was bouncing Shiro in her lap. The boy was babbling and clapping his hands at her, while she cooed at him. She flicked his nose, and Shiro giggled. Ichigo scowled deeper. Who the hell was this girl, and what the hell was she doing with Shiro? Not thinking, he stood and stormed over, causing Orihime to start in surprise and Tatsuki to sit up, her head spinning to see where he was heading. Sado frowned silently, pensively, and Uryu stood as well.

Momo yelped when Shiro was suddenly snatched from her and into the arms of a handsome, brad chested man that she recognised from the pictures she had seen. Her eyes widened in shock, and she looked at him slightly fearful as he held Shiro. Shiro looked slightly surprised as well, but quickly cheered up when he saw that it was Ichigo who was holding him. "Berry-baka!" he acclaimed, reaching for Ichigo's hair. Ichigo let him as he looked down at Momo. The teenager glared back, standing up and putting her hands on her hips.

"What do you think you are doing! Give him back immediately!" Momo snapped, reaching for Shiro but he stepped backwards. Shiro looked confused as his eyes flashed back and forth between the two. Uryu was now walking over, recognising Momo from his Maths class. Ichigo glared at Momo, until he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Ichigo, give Momo back the boy," he instructed, and Ichigo glared at him. Uryu's eyes darkened, and he tightened his grip. Momo looked at her Sensei, and then at Ichigo again, clasping her hands at her chest. Shiro began to sniff at the tension that was radiating from the adults and Momo, and tears began to pool in his eyes. Everyone in the Shoten looked at them, eyes on the group at the table by the window.

"Ichigo, give him back." Reluctantly, Ichigo handed Shiro back to Momo, despite every part of him telling him not to. Momo exhaled in relief, hugging Shiro to her, before looking thankfully at Uryu.

"Arigatou, Ishida-sensei," she bowed, before balancing Shiro on her hip. He buried his face in her side, peeking up at Ichigo from under her arm. Momo glared at him. "Who do you think you are? You don't just snatch a child from someone! What type of person does that?" Momo snarled, and Ichigo suddenly realised how it would actually look. Shiro obviously knew the girl, and she obviously knew Shiro. If she had Shiro then it would be because Rukia trusted her to have him. He would look like some deranged lunatic that took babies from their mothers.

"Go... gomen... I didn't mean... I mean..." Ichigo stammered, and Momo just glowered at him. Beside her Urahara appeared, his face shadowed by his hat. He placed his hand on Momo's shoulder, and she looked up at him while he frowned at Ichigo.

"Gomen, Kurosaki-kun, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave. Can't have you upsetting my customers or employees," Urahara told him. Ichigo's jaw dropped, and there was a loud curse from Tatsuki and a gasp from Orihime. Sado was silent as ever, nodding. Momo practically glowed with victory, her gip on Shiro tightening slightly. "Momo-san is one of our waitresses here, and it would be terribly inconvenient if I had to ban you from my Shoten because she couldn't work around you. Please leave."

"H...Hai... I'll just..." Ichigo visibly deflated, taking one last look at Shiro, who smiled at him broadly and waved, before turning and walking from the store, head bowed and hands in his pockets. He could hear the people in the Shoten whispering about him, pointing and gasping in horror at the 'Baby-snatcher'. Uryu followed, and when they were outside the Shoten, he grabbed Ichigo's arm. Ichigo tore it from his grip, glaring. "What the fuck do you want, Ishida?"

"What the hell was that, Kurosaki? That is one of my students in there, one of your students come Monday! What the hell do you think you were doing?" Uryu roared. Ichigo rolled his eyes and turned to go to his car. "Don't you dare walk away from me, Kurosaki Ichigo. You terrified that poor girl, and you tried to take a baby? Explain this, because it doesn't make any sense to me! You left before Momo-san arrived, so it was impossible for you to have met-"

"Exactly! I had no idea who she was and she had Shiro!" Ichigo seethed. His fists clenched, and Uryu looked bewildered for a moment, questioning 'the baby?'. Ichigo nodded curtly, pacing.

"I didn't know who she was, or why she had him and it worried men. I was angry with..." he trailed off, notincing the inquisitive expression on Uryu's face. He couldn't tell him the baby was Rukia's. If he did, it might get back to Rukia's school and she would be thrown out for it. The schools didn't tolerate such things as teenage mothers in Karakura, and her reputation would be ruined. "I was angry with his Okaasan for not telling me that the girl was looking after him."

Uryu stared at him, his eyes shielded behind his glasses and Ichigo dragged his hands through his hair. "Look, tell them I'm sorry, alright? I have to go and do something," Ichigo sighed, turning to get into his car when Uryu stopped him. Uryu had, for the last four years, let Ichigo get away with running from his problems. While he would never say it out-loud, he had always known that despite their differences, Ichigo was one of his best friends. Sure, the idiot was competitive, stubborn and a pain in his ass most of the time, but he protected his friends and was there for them no matter what. Now, Uryu decided it was his turn. Ichigo was obviously being tormented by something. It was plain to see in his eyes. Evident in his edgy movements and tenseness, and his temper was more volatile than ever since he had come back.

"Ichigo. What have you got to do?" he asked, his voice even and stern. Uryu let go of Ichigo's arm, his hands dropping to his sides. Ichigo closed his eyes, inhaling shakily before the corner of his mouth turned up. He stared at the rough terrain under his feet and kicked a small rock. Honestly... he didn't know what he had to do. He half believed he was actually going mad. After so long being on his own, independent from his family, it felt like he was taking seven steps backwards. He didn't know them anymore. They all had lives that he had no input into. Karin had a boyfriend, Yuzu had a group of friends and a life outside the house, and he was pretty sure that Isshin was disappearing constantly without a moments notice. It was like he was in a house with complete strangers, and it was all his fault for leaving.

And Rukia and Shiro just made it so much worse. They just crashed into his life without any warning, and made him destroy his reputation in the space of five minutes. He needed to get out of that house. He needed to get away from those people. He bowed his head, guilt piercing his heart. "I need to look for somewhere to live. My house it too crowed already, and I can't keep sleeping on a couch," he toned dully. A voice at the back of his mind reminded him cruelly that the night before he hadn't slept on the couch, but with Rukia.

"You can stay with me. I have a spare room and I live close to the school. It's more convenient for you anyway," Uryu waved his hand, nonchalantly. Ichigo sweat-dropped at how simple Uryu made it sound, and opened his mouth to argue that he couldn't, when Uryu pinned him with a superior look. "Unless you like sleeping on a couch. I mean, you're going to need all your strength to deal with some of our school's students. They can be quite the handful. I'm offering you a bed, for a reasonable rent. It's up to you whether or not you take it."

Ichigo knew he was manipulating him. Uryu was so obvious about it. But it was so appealing. The idea of actually having a bed and a room to sleep in... was so tempting, even if he knew Uryu would be a pain to live with. "Fine... you have a deal. When can I bring my stuff round?" Ichigo caved, and Uryu smirked, pushing his glasses up his nose slyly.

"Tomorrow. After lunch. I'm busy until then," Uryu stated airily, and one of Ichigo's eyebrows rose, his hands going into his pockets as he smirked. Uryu glowered at him when the smirk fell onto the taller man's lips, crossing his arms so his suit wrinkled at the elbows. Ichigo now leaned against his Porsche, while Uryu stood straight a couple of metres away, arms crossed and stance rigid. Ichigo went to say something, when a low rumble caused both men to look over Ichigo's shoulder.

A black, C300 Bentley limousine, with black tinted windows slowly travelled over the gravely ground. The driver was the only person visible, with a black suit and black hat, and white gloves. Uryu whistled lowly at the expensive vehicle, admiring the shining finish and silver detailing while Ichigo just narrowed his eyes, suspicious. Who would go to the Urahara Shoten, that was rich enough to own a limousine? His thoughts were interrupted by Tatsuki, Orihime and Sado. Orihime looked pleased now that she had eaten, rubbing her stomach with a delighted expression.

"Ahh... that was so yummy. It's such a shame that you couldn't stay for lunch, Kurosaki-kun, Ishida-kun! I really wanted to see you as well," Orihime outed, putting her index finger to her lip and scrunching up her skirt with one hand. Tatsuki rolled her eyes, but smirked, putting an arm around Orihime's shoulders. "Tatsuki-chan and I have to go now, but I'll see you on Monday, Kurosaki-kun! It was amazing seeing you again! You should come for dinner at some point. Ulqui-kun would love to see you again! I could make my new recipe, Octopus tentacles, with rice and red bean paste! It's delicious!"

Ichigo blanched, a sickly green look on his face as the two friends began walking in the eastern direction towards Orihime's home, chatting amicably. Sado put a hand on Ichigo's shoulder, and nodded his head once. Ichigo grinned. "Later, Chad. It was good seeing you. Take care, alright?" he replied, and Sado 'hmmed' before turning and walking away in the direction opposite the Shoten, to the south of Karakura where he worked on the fish market. Ichigo looked at Uryu. "I'll see you tomorrow at one, yoshii?"

"Yare, yare. Sayonara, Kurosaki," Uryu said, walking away from Ichigo and waving a hand, leaving the man alone into the car park to the Urahara Shoten. Ichigo sighed heavily, bowing his head, when an ear-splitting yell reached his ears from the entrance to the small, yet rather spacious store/cafe. His head shot up, sunlight reflecting off his orange tresses and causing them to glow slightly. The man's amber eyes widened, when he saw a furious Rukia Kouzumi, seam practically pouring from her ears, fist clenched and legs parted.

"Oh crap..." he muttered, as her eyes blazed. He was going to get into hell for upsetting her friend...


	4. Bathtime Reveals Secrets

Please enjoy the chapter :) Sorry it took so long! My fanfiction account went on the fritz! And I got ill... Hope you are all doing well! I have an interview for university today, but it went well thankfully! Going to do nursing at Stirling Uni hopefully :P Wish me luck, yeah~  
Also, lets see if we can get fifteen reviews this week! I would totally love them all :) I love hearing what you think, nyah~  
Any questions you have, or reviews you leave, I will reply to in the **Review Responses!** area of the Authors note :) so please, if you want to know anything, I'll answer it best as I can there if you ask :)

**Please enjoy this chapter :)**

**Review Responses!**

**NORA: **Thanks for the review :) I always worry that people don't like the way I write so thank you for the comment :)  
**StackedActor52: **Hehe... guess I bugged you enough lol :P Thanks for the review! Luvvvs you :3 Nyah~ Urahara is going to be back in later chapters, don't you worry (I love him too much to not give him a role :3)  
**Falconrukichi:** Yeah, Shiro's too cute for Ichigo to resist lol :3 The plot just came to me one day when I was reading this awesome fanfiction which I can't remember the name of, nyah~ Thank Kami you like it :D  
**CrystalAmethyst**: Wait until you read this one lol :P  
**Imou:** Don't worry, Senna will only picture in Ichigo's memories (I didn't liek her that much, even though I'm a lot like her nyah~) Thanks for tehreview, so happy you enjoyed the chapter!  
**Kiss of Imortality**: Love the screenname BTW, it's awesome. Anyway yeah, Rukia's goign to kill Ichigo... or is she... mwuhahaha! Nah, read on and find out :3 It's interesting! Promise.  
**Alyssa**: You write some of the longest reviews I recieve :) Thanks for that:) It's so nice to hear really indepth thoughts about the chapters, I put loads of effort into them (I pride them above my studies ;3) I don't get hangovers either hehe. It would have been, but we get to see it's impact in this chapter an the next! :) Ishida and Ichigo :) Like best buddies 4eva lol. My bet is that they kill each other. Like seriously maim one another when they live together lol. I've never seen that movie, but I will at some point, promise :) Byakua, Hisana and Rukia are all siblings. Byakuya is the eldest, then Hisana, and then Rukia.  
**IslandPrincess1**: Thanks for reading! I'm so glad you are taking a chance on this story. Thank you for that.  
**NicaTeef**: Yep, Ichigo's a big softie really lol :) And Shiro is just so kawaii... I love him so much lol :3 nyah~

**Glossary**

Haha - Mother  
Kurosaki-lin - Kurosaki Clinic  
Dokuta - Doctor  
Ara - Oh  
Gomen Sumimasen- Sorry  
Yoshii - Alright?  
Arigatou - Thank You  
Joji - baby girl  
Kawaii - cute

* * *

**Her Sensei's Family**

Rukia had been ready to rip Ichigo to shreds after Momo had told her what he had done, but she lost all her steam the closer she got to him. Everytime she looked at him, the only thing she could see was his face asleep on her pillow. How peaceful and innocent he had seemed with his eyes closed, and the weight of the world lifted from his shoulders. He had't shifted once when he lay down, his grip on her only tightening through the night.

It had physically pained her when he had started to murmer, his eyebrows knitting together and a scowl on his lips. Her hand somehow rose from between them to stroke his jawline. Her fingers ran over his furrowed brow and it loosened, softening under her long slender digits back to the angelic expression it had previously adopted.

After seeing him so... calm, his look of frustration and annoyance on his face when she had went to yell at him caused her to stop and feel guilty. The scowl on his face had returned, deep as ever and he looked heavy as if he was burdened with the fate of all those around him. Despite the fact that Momo was standing behind her, with Shiro in his pushchair, she just wasn't able to scream and shout the way Momo expected her to. She opened her mouth and nothing came out. Rukia ended up just standing there, her mouth open and her finger pointing at him.

Ichigo was confused at her reaction. He had expected her to pull out all his hair, kick his ass and generally make his life hell, but she jsut kind off stood there staring at him in the carpark of the Shoten. She tried to say soemthing, and, to his amusement, she just couldn't speak. Instead, she dropped her hand to her side and gave him a half-hearted glare.

"We can talk about this later. Go home and take a shower, you still reek of sake, Berry-baka," she sneered coldly. There was no bite in her words and Ichigo found that they weren't as cruel as usual. Her insults even lacked creativity and emotion. She turned on her heel and strode over to Momo. "Renji! Get a move on! We have to go!"

Ichigo frowned deeper, wondering who she was talking to when a tall, red haired man waltzed out the Shoten doors. He stood tall, only emphasised by his red hair which was tied into a spiky ponytail. Around his tattooed forehead he had a whind bandana tied, and his brown eyes were fiery and narrowed on his surroudnings, taking them all in. He had black tribal tattoos up his neck, and thick crimson sideburns. He wore a black shirt, the buttons undone to reveal a skin-tight white t-shirt. His black jeans hung off his hips and had a red belts strung through the loops, with black and yellow studs. On his feet he wore black leather shoes and a large black travel bag was slung over his shoulder. The man had to be at least twenty-one, with his stature and build.

"Yare, yare, Rukia. Whatever, I'm hungry. I haven't eaten since breakfast!" Renji moaned, and Rukia grit her teeth, glaring at him. They had just been in a Cafe for Kami's sake! Why couldn't he have eaten in there? Momo stared at him, her mouth open, having only met the man two minutes ago and still being terrified of him. Shiro's eyes were wide, pacifier hanging from his mouth as he gaped at Renji. The man was either oblivious to their looks, or just plain ignoring them for the hell of it as he strolled carelessly down the street, hands behind his head. "Hurry up. I have things to do other than waiting on your asses."

Momo sweat dropped and stepped away from the pushchair and Rukia. "Err... Rukia-chan... Gomen, but he is really scary..." Momo whispered, and Rukia opened her mouth to ask Momo to stay, but the look of fear in her friends eyes caused her to close it again. Dejectedly, she nodded in submission. Momo quickly hugged her, and backed away again at the narrowing of Renji's eyes. Renji stood behind Rukia, towering dangerously over her. Rukia remembered just how irritating this had been when she was younger, and prayed it didn't interfere with her life too much now. "Besides... you probably need to catch up with... Abaria-san. You did say you hadn't spoken in a while..."

"Do you want a lift?" Ichigo asked, butting into whatever Rukia as going to say. The two teens and man looked at him, as if having forgotten he was there. Momo blinked and knit her eyebrows together. Ichigo held up his hands. "Think of it as an apology. I was out of line," he stated. Momo softened, her cheerful demeanour reappearing as she nodded saying 'Hai!' loudly. Rukia felt jealousy strike through her chest, as a glare levelled out her face at Momo, and hastily, she reigned it in. However, it was not before Renji noticed and got a stern look on his face, eyeing Ichigo cynically.

Shiro pouted, feeling left out from the conversation that the grown ups where having and looked at Ichigo, holding up his arms and straining against the straps of his pushchair. "Up! Bewwy-baka! Wan' up!" he announced, his pacifier spitting out of his mouth and onto the dirty side walk under their feet. Ichigo smirked down at him, and Rukia bit her lip, as Renji's eyes became even more clouded, sizing Ichigo up. "Bewwwy! Yummy! Up! Now!" Shiro demanded a petulant look shadowing his adorable features.

Ichigo cast his eyes at Rukia, asking her permission silently, and she just waved her hand in annoyance. He would do it anyway, whether or not he had permission. It was impossible to say no to Shiro, unless you were Rukia. Bending, Ichigo snapped the clasp holding Shiro in the blue pushchair, and barely caught him when the toddler launched himself at him. Shiro grabbed onto his hair, a gleeful expression on his face as he tugged on the orange spikes. Ichigo winced, but held onto Shiro anyway, silently relishing the fact that Shiro preferred his attention than that moron Renji's.

"I can take him if you want. I have nothing better to do," Ichigo suggested, gazing at Rukia. The mother of the wriggling toddler looked uncertain.

"Don't you have a hangover? You drank a lot last night. Shiro could make a lot of noise, and that wouldn't be good for a headache," Rukia pointed out. She was a little hesitant to leave Shiro with Ichigo, and Renji didn't seem at all happy about the suggestion either, suspicion evident in his face and stance as he tensed. It was his job to protect Rukia and Shiro. It was why he was here, it was what he was paid to do. He couldn't do his job if the orange-haired baka took Shiro with him. Rukia's hesitance stemmed from her not wanting Shiro to get attached to Ichigo. The closer Shiro got to the man, the more it meant she would have to talk to him. Something she really disliked having to do.

"My heads fine. I'm lucky enough not to get hangovers, no matter how much I drink. I can look after Shiro. Besides, I'm pretty sure that the baboon has something to talk to you about, so it'll be good for me to take Shiro off your hands," he brushed off her hesitance, and bounced Shiro in his arms, causing the black haired boy to giggle and hit his face with his small hand. Rukia looked at the two, at the sheer enjoyment on Shiro's face and groaned before giving him a dirty look that said she was not at all happy with the situation.

"What the fuck did you call me, punk?" Renji snarled, and Rukia punched him in the arm. He bit back a hiss, and looked down at her with an evil look. "What the fuck was that for!" he roared, and Rukia's foot made contact with her jaw, her body twisting and feet leaving the ground as she sent him to the floor, standing on his chest.

"Stop cursing in front of my son!" she seethed, her violet irises flaming, her fist clenched and poised in front of his face in a threatening manner. Shiro cheered, shouting 'Haha!' triumphantly for his mother. Ichigo rose an eyebrow, but stopped in his attempt to interrupt when Rukia spoke again. "Are you forgetting who is paying you to be here! You do as I say, understood, and you watch your language in front of Shiro!"

Rukia was paying Renji to be there? Momo, who had stood silent until this point, squeaked in surprise, her hand covering her mouth. She herself, despite being Rukia's best friend, knew nothing about Rukia's past. The idea that Rukia would pay someone who looked like and acted like Renji... It could only mean one thing! _She's part of the Yakuza! _Momo thought wildly, while Ichigo's thought were a lot less dramatic. Rukia must be a rich kid. It actually made sense. She was from some big, rich family and needed protection. Ichigo remembered what Isshin had said to him.

'_...put her and her son in hiding... He was shot down... targeting Rukia... there is someone after her...' _The words of his Oyaji, simple, yet serious, life changing words, ran through his head, repeating over and over. Ichigo looked at Renji again, the man now dusting himself off as he straightened up again. An irritating, niggling respect for the man somehow managed to creep into his mind and he scowled. Damn. He would have been perfectly okay with hating the man, but he had to be here to protect Rukia and Shiro._ Not that he cared about Rukia. _He was just worried about Shiro. He was defenceless.

Momo blinked, when she heard her phone beep in her bag and fished it out of her small purse. She frowned, and flipped it open the read the text she had just received.

_Momoooo-chan... It's so hot! The air conditioner broke again! Come and save your Okaasan from the heat... all the sake's gone! _shone on the blue screen, and Momo sweat dropped at how completely helpless her mother was. She wondered idly where her Oyaji was, and then remembered that Juushiro Ukitake was visiting Unohana-obaasan for the day. Momo's face fell. Rangiku had been home alone all morning! She was going to be completely drunk!

"Kurosaki-san! We have to go. My Okaasan... she's probably passed out by now. If she's fell asleep in her breasts, she could suffocate!" Momo panicked, clasping her hands at her chest, her phone still firmly in her grasp. Ichigo's eyes twinkled, amusement threatening to show on his handsome, yet sombre face. His eyes glanced over to Rukia, who had reasserted her attention back onto them. "Please, Kurosaki-san. Shiro-chan and Karin-chan went to the Arcade. Okaasan is home on her own! She's probably drank all the sake in the house!"

Rukia nodded at Ichigo. "It's true. Rangiku-san is a bit of a drinker... It's best you go. Please take care of Shiro," Rukia requested. She walked around the pushchair, and pressed a kiss onto Shiro's cheek, her face dangerously close to Ichigo's. He could see the flecks of silver in her irises when she was this close. Rukia flicked Shiro's nose playfully, and he giggled, reaching for her bang and yanking on it. "Be good for Berry-baka, yoshii?"

"Bewwy yummy!" Shiro replied, and Rukia beamed at him, rubbing her nose against his. Shiro hugged her head and Rukia nuzzled her face into his stomach, before detaching herself from him. Shiro sniffed, and his large grey eyes began to fill with tear. "No. Wan' Haha! No wan' bewwy. Wan' Haha!" the toddler wailed, realising that he wasn't staying with his Okaasan. He was naturally attached to her. He loved her, she was his mother. She was all he knew in the world.

"Hey, hey... shush now... Haha's going to come back. Stop being naughty, okay? I'll always come back," Rukia whispered tenderly, and Shiro's eyes glittered, his small nose red, and tears wet on his cheeks. Ichigo sighed, and shuffled him, so Rukia could reach him better. Rukia kissed Shiro's forehead, and pressed hers against his. "Be a good boy, for Haha. Berry's going to look after you for a little bit," Rukia soothed, her tone full of love and compassion for her child. Ichigo felt like he was intruding on something, watching Rukia with Shiro. At that moment, Rukia reminded him painfully of his own Okaasan.

Doting, affectionate and _safe_. Everything a mother was supposed to be. His heart felt heavy, and he turned his eyes away from Rukia, who was still murmuring to Shiro while the boy listened intently. While he may not understand some of what she was saying, he could tell she was trying to assure him that she was going to come back. Ichigo looked over at Renji, who was frowning, his head bowed as well and hands shoved in the pockets of his jeans. The sound of tapping came from Momo, as she rapidly text her Okaasan and Toshiro.

Bewwy yummy," Shiro mumbled, and Rukia nodded, her expression gracious as she responded 'Hai, berry yummy'. Despite himself, Ichigo blushed when he heard the words pass her pink-glossed lips. Rukia flushed pink as well, her cheeks stained as the blood rushed to them. Rukia stepped away from Ichigo and Shiro, looking over at Momo who had folded up the pushchair in order to store it in the boot of Ichigo's Porsche.

"I'll be back around five. Can you give Shiro his dinner?" Rukia questioned. Ichigo nodded, opening the boot and lifting the pushchair into in with one hand. He forced it into the car with a grunt, as Momo got into the passenger seat. Rukia gave Shiro one last glance, before going to Renji's side. She was silent as they strolled in the direction of Rukia's school. Renji didn't understand why they were going there, but he wasn't going to question it, not with the solemn, empty expression that was overcoming her features.

Renji didn't get the feeling that overwhelmed Rukia, when she was separated from Shiro. He was part of her, flesh and blood, heart and soul. She had given birth to him, had him grow inside of her and it still scared her that someone was going to take him from her. Really, the black haired, grey eyed toddler was all she truly had in this world. Rukia had been cast out of her family, by her own brother no less. Even with her Nee-sans efforts to connect with her, she was only allowed limited contact with her siblings and her family. She was forced to live under a false name, as protection from those who targeted her family for their money and status.

They dawdled down the street, until they came to a small park. Surprisingly, it was empty. No children ran around, it was quiet, even with the people that rushed past Rukia and Renji, going about their business without a care as to who or why Renji and Rukia even stopped at the park. In an almost childish move, Rukia hurtled towards the swings, the need to reconnect with something she had enjoyed so much as a child crushing her heart. Renji scowled, and followed her, his steps more like a saunter rather than her overeager dash.

She dropped onto the rubber seat, ready to swing only to stop when she realised that she couldn't do it. Her face fell for a moment, her hand going to her sling. Rukia swallowed the undeniable disappointment that swelled, closing her eyes. The area around her got cooler and her eyes opened once more, her head turning up to see Renji standing over her. His arms were crossed over his broad chest, and his features were hard and set into a stern look. She opened her mouth feeling a need to defend herself for some reason, be it the inquisition that was forced upon her by his piercing gaze or the way he towered over her, making her feel small and insignificant.

Rukia didn't speak however, dropping her hand into her lap. "Hisana-nee was really serious when she said you were going to attend my school as a student, wasn't she?" Rukia questioned soflty, staring at the worn ground under her feet. The park was small, with a set of swings, a slide, a small set of monkey bars and a round-about. On either side of the park, about twenty metres apart, were two tall sakura blossom trees. The leaves were blowing in the breeze, a dark crimson colour. The ground underfoot may have once been lush grass, but it had now weathered from repeated trampling, patches of dry mud visible under the swings, around the round-about, at the base of the slide and under the monkey-bars.

As if reflecting Rukia's temperament at the time, the air hung heavily over them, like a thick blanket of hot air. Moisture in the air stuck to Rukia, making her feel sweaty and tired, even more than she already was. It was a warning of coming weather for the typhoon season in the following months. The weather that had been there in the morning, a pleasant heat from the shining sun had gone, now replaced with searing warmth, and grey clouds layered upon one another in the sky.

"Have you ever known her to lie?" Renji mocked her cockily and Rukia glared at him, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand. Renji sat on the swing next to hers, his hands going around the chain link that attached the rubber seat to the paint-chipped steel metal frame. His bag was dumped on the ground at the base of one of the poles that held the swing set up.

"I just don't understand why she didn't get you into the school as a teachers assistant, or a caretaker. Why make you a student? What is there to gain from that? You are twenty-two years old, Renji. You have already done High School and gotten an education," Rukia exhaled heavily, looking over at Renji with a furrowed brow and a confused, angry expression. Renji shook his head in amusement, looking at her with smug smirk. When Rukia was younger, she used to understand everything better than he did. Now, she was the one confused while he knew the answers.

"My job is to protect you, Rukia. What good would it do if I wasn't with you all the time? You need to be constantly watched to ensure your safety," Renji told her. Rukia scowled, snapping 'why?'. As far as she was aware, the only threat to her was her own family. Her cousin's and aunts and uncles would do anything to get rid of her or Shiro. It was something she had learned to live with growing up. It was why it unsettled her so much when she was apart from Shiro, the thought that someone in her family could find out where she was and take him from her. "You mean you seriously haven't noticed? Kami, Rukes... what the hell happened to you?"

"Noticed what? Renji, what the hell is going on? What are you not telling me?" Rukia fired out questions rapidly, growing even more annoyed, and even more confused. What was everyone hiding from her? Her entire visage tensed, a dark aura around her. "Tell me what is going on, Renji!" she demanded, standing up and putting her hand on her hip her eyes cold and judging as she pierced him with her glare.

"Geez, calm down, would ya! You are overreacting..." he trailed off, as she pinned him with a look so frozen it rivalled her Niisama's. Renji grit his teeth, glaring back. He couldn't tell her that she was being watched constantly by someone. She would panic and run. He couldn't tell her that there was someone targeting her and her son, for whatever reason. He couldn't even tell her that al the people she was close to, all of them were placed in her life by her Niisama for her own protection. Renji was unable to tell her anything and she wanted to know what he knew. He bowed his head, dragging his brown eyes from her violet ones. "Do you like it here, Rukia?"

Rukia reared back, not having expected the question. Surprise showed clearly on her features, before it was rapidly replaced with a mask of indifference. "I was made to come here, Renji. I don't have a choice in it," she said carefully. She didn't know how much of what she said to him would be kept between just them and how much would be repeated to her Niisama and Hisana. She knew Renji was loyal to her, but she couldn't tell just how loyal he was. He had always admired her brother, and wanted to be like him. If betraying her would get him into good favour with her Niisama... Rukia was pretty sure that he would betray her trust in an instant.

"Don't give me that shit, Rukes. Tell the truth. Do you like it here?" he reiterated, a deadly serious expression on his face. Rukia stared at him, swallowing heavily. His tone caught her off-guard. It was like he didn't want to know, but need to know. She clenched her fists, her head falling as she stared at the ground under her feet, unable to reply to his question. A drop of water fell from the heavens above, and plummeted to the dirt in front of her, darkening it. Renji slowly stood, and placed his hand on her shoulder. "It's alright if you do, you know. I can see why you would . It's an alright town, compared to Tokyo. Quieter."

She gazed up at him, her face crumbling. "I don't belong here, Renji... These people don't know a thing about me! I lie to them everyday and none of them even suspect me of doing so! It's terrifying, Renji! If they just tried, any of them could discover who I am! I keep waiting for someone to suddenly look at me, and shout 'It's Rukia Kuchiki!'. If I say one wrong thing, forget who I am supposed to be here then this existence I have been forced to create will come crashing down! I get scared every time we get a phone call, in case it's Hisana-nee or Megumi-sama and I don't get to the phone in time. Yuzu-chan... Karin-chan... they think I'm just some poor girl who had a kid and got thrown out of her home. They don't know who I am, or what my family do! I hate lying to them!"

Rain drizzled from the grey clouds now, the temperature dropping slightly around Rukia and Renji as she yelled. She breathed heavily, tears filling her eyes and streaming down her cheeks. Renji's eyes were wide in surprise at her, never having seen her so emotional before in their lives. She had changed over the last three years... His tattooed eyebrows knit together on his forehead. How had this happened? How had she become so broken?

"These people... they all think they know who I am... but none of them do. Yet... they make me feel more at home, then I ever did with my real family. They accept me. Yuzu-chan, Karin-chan... Momo, Nanao... Isshin-outosan... they treat me like part of their family. They never try and make me do things I don't want to. They never force me to be someone I'm not. They are good people!" Rukia cried, wiping her eyes on the back of her hand. "I love it here! I never want to leave! But when someone finds me, be it a Kuchiki that has it in for Niisama, or an enemy of my family, I'm going to have to. I can't put them in danger, Renji. I just can't."

She gasped, when Renji struck her across the cheek, and her hand flew it. Her tears dried rapidly, while the rain continued to wet her cheeks, causing her hair to stick to her face. The grey skies were unrelenting as they released waves of water down onto them, soaking their clothes. Rukia didn't feel this though, in shock from the sudden lash from Renji. She gaped up at him, as he jeered down at her testily.

"Stop your blubbering! We are doing all this to protect you, yet you stand there crying like a little girl! Get a grip, Rukia! Grow up!" Renji ordered. She stammered, her cheeks red with his hand print. Renji left no room for her to argument, continuing to berate her. "You are Rukia fucking Kuchiki! So why don't you fucking act like it! What the fuck happened to you in the last three years that you have become this whiny little bitch? Pull yourself together. If someone threaten's you, you fight back! You get stronger! You don't cry about it!"

He was shouting now, loudly, so he could be heard over the hammering rain that drenched them to their skins. Even though it was still warm, it sent chills through their bodies. Rukia's jaw dropped and then closed again, before dropping once more. She took a step backwards, away from him. His hand fell from her shoulder and to his side, his fist clenching. Then, anger filled her like hot lave, and she growled dangeroulsy.

"Just who the hell do you think you are talking to, Renji Abaria! I am Rukia Kuchiki and I will not be spoken to with such disrespect! I demand you apologize!" she snarled. Despite the fact that she stood a whole foot and four inches small than him, she suddenly seemed to be taller, looking down at him. Renji smirked, chuckling under his breath. This was what he was used to. The demanding, insulting, stubborn Rukia Kuchiki that he had grown up with. Rukia's expression only turned to ice, when he laughed. "Renji! Don't you dare laugh at me! I demand that you take back what you said!"

Renji snorted. "No," he stated simply, and she inhaled sharply, outraged. Opening her mouth, she was going to yell at him once more, when he started to stroll away from her after picking up his bag and slinging it back over his shoulder. His ponytail was lank now, wet and stringy, while his bandanna had fell from his forehead to around his neck, heavy with rain. The white t-shirt he had on had gone see-through, sticking to the toed muscles of his stomach and pecks, sowen the black tattoos that were along his ribs and he upper torso. His black shirt hung heavily off him. "You coming? Cause it's really pissign it down now, an' I really am sick of being wet."

He called to her over his shoulder, not stopping in his stride, and Rukia realised suddenly that she was actually soaked to the bone and that despite the fact it was still warm out, she was freezing. She sloshed through the gathering puddles after him, her black hair clinging to her cheeks and neck, rain dribbling down the back of her dress. Belatedly, she realised that the dress she wore was light blue, and so had gone completely see-through with the rain, revealing the baby pink, butterfly decorated lacy bra/panties set she had on underneath. Horror filled her and she stared down at her front.

"Ara! Renji! Give me your shirt!" she shrieked, and Renji paused, peering at her over his shoulder. Rukia's face, ear and neck were crimson as she tried to cover her chest and her lower part with her one arm. He blinked when he saw why, and then doubled over laughing. Rukia glared at him. "Renji! Shirt! Now!" she demanded, desperation creeping into her tone. Renji scoffed, but unzipped his bag, pulling out a navy blue hoodie and chucking it at her.

It practically drowned her tiny form, the hem reaching nearly her knees. She looked like a child in it. Renji couldn't help it. He laughed again.

**XoXoX**

Shiro placed one of his toy blocks onto the other, his tongue sticking out as he did so. Ichigo sat cross-legged on the floor opposite him, the fourteen month old standing as he piled his blocks. When he had piled up three blocks, he shot his foot out and kicked it down again, grinning. The television was on, a programme about cartoon fish lighting up the screen. The sound of rain slamming against the window was barely drowned out by the television. Around them was Shiro's teddy's, toy and crayons and paper, with scribbles all over them.

"Bewwy!" Shiro shouted, looking for approval from the orange-haired man. Ichigo grinned and ruffled his hair, causing Shiro to bat his hand away. Shiro fell back onto his bottom, and picked up one of his coloured blocks. It was bright orange. He looked at it then at Ichigo's hair, and blinked. "Bewwy?" he questioned, holding up the block. His expression was inquisitive and Ichigo scowled, shaking his head.

"Orange," he stated taking the block from him and holding it near his head. Shiro furrowed his eyebrows, and opened his mouth. His lips moved and he sounded 'Wanje' softly, before gazing at Ichigo, his large grey eyes lighting up hopefully. Ichigo chuckled. "Good work, Shiro," Ichigo applauded him. Shiro clapped loudly. Ichigo had spent the last two hours playing with Shiro. They had eaten (Ichigo wouldn't admit it, but he had done the 'aeroplane' in order to get Shiro to eat without being fussy), played a very impromptu game of tag (in which Shiro had nearly fell down the stairs, and thrown up in Ichigo's boot) and then settled in the living room, playing with Shiro's toys.

Shiro stood, and toddled over to his peg puzzle, it's pieces lying all around the board. They were cartoon animals, a cow, a pig, a sheep, a chicken and a duck. He plopped back down, and grabbed one the shapes, ready to force it into the space he wanted to put it in. Ichigo watched him for a few minutes, before leaning back against the couch and grabbing the television remote. Idly, he flicked through the channels, before leaving it on the news channel.

He turned his attention to Shiro once again, the toddler now throwing the pieces of his peg puzzle across the room in frustration. He banged the board of the floor angrily because he hadn't been able to fit the animal shapes in. "No yummy! No yummy! Baka! Baka! Wak-jo! Baka!" Shiro shouted, and he hurtled it as far as he could. He glowered at the board as it landed a metre away from him. A small pout began to develop on his lips, and it wobbled slightly, before he cried and pointed at it. "Bewwy! Toy!" he wailed, looking to Ichigo with tears streaming down his cheeks.

Ichigo shook his head, rolling his eyes and gathered up the puzzle pieces and the board. Shiro's looked over to the television and pushed himself up, stumbling over to the television set and placing his hands on the table that had the television on top of it. A confused expression appeared on his face, and he pointed to the screen, saying 'haha'. Ichigo's head shot up, looking over at the door to the main room of the house, only to scowl when he saw she wasn't there. He gazed over at Shiro, and his eyes widened at the image on the television screen.

It was Rukia. Not just Rukia, put another three people as well. Rukia was younger, but she looked pretty much the exact same as she did now, just with longer hair that was pulled into two short braids. She had on green vest over a white shirt, with a red and yellow striped tie. Her navy blue blazer was buttoned up, with it's collar neatly folded down, and her skirt ended at mid thigh, a navy blue tartan. It was the uniform for the Yamasaki Girls Private Academy. Her face was flushed pink, and embarrassed as she stood outside the Girl's Academy. It had to be before Rukia had Shiro, so he guessed she was about fifteen in the image. Behind her stood the infamous Business Mogul Byakuya Kuchiki.

He had one hand on her shoulder, and the other around his wife, Komi Megumi of Megumi Industries. His hair was in the traditional Kenseiken he wore as a symbol of his status, and he had on a white scarf around his neck. His suit was black, crisp and ironed to perfection while he had on a white shirt. His eyes were piercing and a steely slate grey, his expression impassive and cold in stark contrast to his wife, who looked serene and gentle as she waved at the camera. She wore a white sun dress, that floated to just above her knee and was decorated with pink sakura blossoms. Around her waist was a pink sash, and it had a heart neckline with long sleeves. Her bangs were blunt across her forehead, and her hair was pulled into a loose bun tied with a red ribbon.

On Rukia's left stood her Hisana Kuchiki, her hand on the girls other shoulder and a smile on her lips, looking peaceful and welcoming. She also wore the uniform, but was obviously older that Rukia, at eighteen. Her eyes were the same as Rukia's, a deep violet, and her hair was slightly messier. She was more carefree looking that Rukia. She looked the most kind of the three, but Ichigo was currently focused on Rukia. Ichigo listened to the new reporter.

'Byakuya Kuchiki, Head of the noble Kuchiki family and CEO of Kuchiki Enterprises was discovered shot this morning in his office at the Kuchiki Enterprises. His condition is classed as critical, and we have yet to hear how his sisters, Rukia Kuchiki and Hisana Kuchiki, and his wife, Komi Megumi, are taking this. The family have yet to make a statement about whether Kuchiki-sama will survive.'

Ichigo turned off the television, picking the remote from the floor and then dropping it onto the couch as he stared at the black screen. _Kuchiki... Rukia Kuchiki... _It made sense. The Kuchiki family would never tolerate someone in their family having a child out of wedlock, as a teenager no less. They would do anything to keep that from the media. And everyone knew that despite the façade the Kuchiki's put up, they were one of the most influential families in the Japanese Yakuza.

"Haha?" Shiro questioned, turning and staring at Ichigo with furrowed eyebrows. Ichigo felt like an idiot. How had he not seen it? The resemblance between the Kuchiki siblings was terrifying. Shiro looked like Byakuya Kuchiki for Kami's sake! Shiro's grey eyes..._ slate grey eyes._.. where massive as they fluttered up at him. "Bewwy," Shiro stomped his foot, and Ichigo was once more snapped out of his musing by the insistent toddler.

"Hai, Shiro... I'm here," he mumbled, and Shiro squealed when Ichigo lifted him from the ground, surprised at being lifted without warning. "I think it's bath time for us. You smell, baka-chan," Ichigo mocked and Shiro giggled. He did actually smell a bit, and Ichigo took a wild guess at that was because he had gone to the toilet in his diaper. Shiro had a large smile on his face, and he grabbed onto Ichigo's hair. "Ow, baka-chan," Ichigo joked, pretending the toddlers tugs were painful. Shiro just cackled, tugging again on Ichigo's hair.

Ichigo set Shiro on the floor in the bathroom, turning on the taps for the furo and putting in some bubble bath. He stripped down to his boxers, and then changed Shiro, removing the stinky boys diaper and being relieved to find he had only wet himself and not... done the second one. He rinsed Shiro off with the shower head, Shiro giggling in delight and trying to run away from him, but Ichigo kept a firm hold on his waist, stopping him. Shiro shrieked playfully, batting at his arm as he was covered in warm water. Shiro stomped his feet, splashing the water under him that ran along the tiled floor into the drain. Turning the taps off, Ichigo shed his boxers, rinsing himself down and then getting into the bathtub. He reached over and lifted Shiro into the bubbly water.

Shiro's face became a look of supreme wonder, as he balanced between Ichigo's legs, hands on his knees. Ichigo rested his back against the cool tiled wall, while Shiro scooped up some of the bubbles, and stared at them. Then he clapped his hands together, and caused the bubbles to burst and float around him like an explosion of foam. "Aah... YUMMY!" Shiro squealed. Ichigo chuckled as Shiro began to slap chunks of the bubbles, creating uneven mountains and making clusters of bubbles float into the smoggy air. Shiro looked like he was in bliss.

Ichigo smirked, and then lifted Shiro under his arms. He then quickly lowered him into the water, causing to to splash and Shiro to cackle, cheering. Some of the water splashed out over the side and went down the drain with a gurgle. Shiro beamed and waved his arms, causing more bubbles to rise and float around them. Ichigo ruffled his wet black hair, causing it to stand on edge and stick up randomly. Shiro grabbed hold of his hand and squeezed his fingers tightly in his grip causing Ichigo to grin.

"Ichigo? Shiro-chan" Rukia's voice called out from the downstairs hallway. Shiro's face lit up even more his head turning to the open doorway. Before Ichigo could stop him, Shiro yelled 'Haha' happily. There was silence, before slow footsteps could be heard getting nearer to the bathroom. A minute later. Rukia appeared at the door to the bathroom. The teenager was sopping wet, her hair stringy and in clumps. Her clothes hung off her, and she seemed generally miserable and grey. Ichigo made sure his lower half was completely covered by bubbles. "There you are. Where is Yuzu-chan and Isshin-outosan?"

She tried to hide her blush as she stepped into the bathing part of the bathroom. Rukia slipped the water-clogged hoodie she wore off her shoulder and sighed in relief as its weight was gone. Ichigo turned his face away from her when he caught a glimpse of her underwear through her dress. "Oyaji is stuck at Ishida's Hospital because of the rain, and Yuzu is staying at one of her friends," Ichigo informed her, and Rukia shivered, bending down beside the bathtub and flicking Shiro's nose playfully.

Shiro giggled, and reached out to her with his small hand, which Rukia caught in her own. Shiro frowned at how cold Rukia's hand was. "Haha no yummy," he mumbled, and he tugged her closer, pulling on her fingers. Rukia's eyes widened and she shook her head.

"No, Shiro. Haha can't come in with you," she stated clearly, and Shiro pouted. His face suddenly morphed into the most adorable expression he could possibly give her, as he continued to tug her. Rukia bit her lip, before tearing her eyes away from him. "Shiro, no," she said sternly. Shiro let go off her hand, sniffling, and looking up at Ichigo. A whining 'Bewwy...' caused Ichigo to look down at him, feeling guilty for no reason. His eyes flicked from Shiro to Rukia and back again, before he sighed.

"Just get in the tub. I don't think I can handle the look he's giving me," Ichigo gave in. Rukia's face became one of shock, until Ichigo grabbed a small towel from the bar on the wall, dragging it under the water and covering himself with it. Rukia stared at the bath hesitantly, before she stood again. He watched her, until she snapped 'Don't look!' and his head twisted rapidly to look at the white tiles on the wall. Rukia unzipped her dress, and pushed it off her shoulders, taking her arm out of her sling momentarily to remove the article of clothing. It slipped down her body and into a ring around her bare feet.

She stood only in her underwear, which were only slightly dry. Grabbing a towel, she wrapped it around herself tightly, and then stepped over the edge of the furo. Her body shivered delightfully as she stepped into the warm, welcoming water. She lowered herself in cautiously, Shiro scooting right up against Ichigo's chest as she delved under the warm water to her shoulders. The underwear against the towel against the bottom of the furo caused unwanted friction, and she moved slightly, trying to get comfortable.

Her legs propped over the side of the furo, and she tried to avoid touching Ichigo's yet her ankles rested on his knees. She had her arm holding herself up on one of the sides of the furo. Shiro beamed at her, wading through the bubbly water towards her and attaching to her neck. "Haha!" he glowed, and Rukia placed a sloppy kiss on his nose, causing Shiro to giggle. Ichigo deemed it safe to look again and stared over at Rukia, her arm in it's sling under the water.

"I'll get you a dry one after the bath," he stated, and Rukia looked confused as to what he was referring to, until she remembered her sling. She nodded, bowing her head and giggling with Shiro when he splashed in the water playfully. Ichigo grinned as well, scooping Shiro up and the bringing him back down again rapidly, causing Shiro to shriek and laugh as he hit the water, sending it over the edge of the furo. Rukia watched them with a wide smile, before leaning her head back and closing her eyes, tired from the stressful events of the day. It had been so emotionally draining... and the water was so warm and soothing.

Shiro blinked at her, when he realised she was no longer watching him, and went to get her attention when Ichigo's arm wrapped around his waist. The tiny boy looked up at the man huffily, his bottom lip jutting out. Ichigo put a finger to his lips. Shiro smiled and copied the move with both his hands, like he had been taught to by his haha. Rukia hummed in her sleep, a musical lilt in her breathing as she sloshed in the was, her legs falling off the side and into the crook between Ichigo's stomach and his leg. Shiro giggled behind his fingers.

Rolling his eyes, Ichigo lifted Shiro over the bath tub, setting the toddler on his feet on the floor. The naked fourteen month old dropped down to the tiles, and splat the small bits of bubble that had landed on the blue tiles. Ichigo placed his palms around Rukia's ankles, swallowing slightly, and lifted her legs, bending them so her feet where flat against the bottom of the bath. She stirred, and he paused, rapidly removing his hands from the smooth, pale skin of her tiny ankles.

He held his breath until Rukia stilled, mumbling and turning slightly in the water. Breathing out heavily, he felt relief fill him. Then he held the towel that was now soaked and covering his lower half, and stood up. Water rushed from him, and streamed down his body back into the bath, splashing over the edge. All the bubbles had dispersed, the water now a murky white colour. Cautiously to avoid stepping on Shiro, he climbed over the furo's side, and stepped onto the cool tiles underneath.

Shiro gazed up at him, in awe of the tall man and grinned widely. Ichigo stuck his tongue out at him, and Shiro chuckled. Rolling his eyes, Ichigo got a dry towel and dropped his wet one onto the tiles, grabbing one of the now few towels of the towel rack and wrapping it around his waist. Grabbing another fluffy white towel, he draped it over Shiro like a cape, covering his head and wrapping him up warmly. Shiro yawned, his thumb going into his mouth as he started to feel tired. He was ready for his bottle and to sit watching his cartoons. His nap earlier had been shorter than usual, only an hour rather than a full hour and a half.

Ichigo looked down at Rukia, and then at Shiro, trying to decide which of the tired Kuchiki's he should deal with first. The one who was already asleep, and the one who was going to need a clean diaper and his sleep-suit. Ultimately, he settled on tending to Shiro first, figuring the water was warm enough that Rukia wouldn't get a chill until later. He put a clean diaper on the boy, who was uncooperative, wriggling and fussing sleepily. He kicked his legs out and tried to hit Ichigo away as Ichigo fastened his diaper, and the struggled against him when he started to put his sleep suit on. It was blue, with little white fluffy sheep on it, and covered his tiny feet.

Ichigo carried Shiro down to the main room, looking at the clock that read six-thirty. Still half an hour until Shiro's bed time. Shiro yawned in his arms, rubbing his eyes and mumbling incoherently. "Bewwy-baka," he insulted Ichigo, nuzzling into him while Ichigo attempted to make up his bottle with one hand. It took two failed attempts, but Ichigo finally managed to get it right. He set Shiro in the play-pen, on the baby bouncer chair, which was black with blue padding. He bounced it slightly, in order to give Shiro some movement as he guzzled his bottle.

After ensuring the pen was securely locked and Shiro wasn't able to get out, he put the night-time children's cartoons on to keep Shiro occupied while he sorted out the boys mother. Ichigo stood over the bathtub, a large dry towel and a dry sling in one hand, and the bath plug in the other. He wore sweatpants, having put them on in order to get a dry sling and arm bandage from the Kurosaki-lin. His top half was bare, hair messy and wild from rough drying. As the water drained out the furo, Rukia shivered, goose bumps erupted on her pearly coloured skin. He could never get over just how pale she was. It was the same with her siblings he noticed. Coal black hair and pale white skin. He placed the dry cloths on the towel rack, and then reached down, lifting Rukia bridal style. She furrowed her eyebrows in her slumber, feeling that she was being moved, and opened her eyes drowsily.

"Ichi... Ichigo?" Rukia stammered, gazing up at him with dreamy eyes. She clouded up, her hand going to her shoulder as every part of her felt heavy and pulled down. "My shoulder hurts," she said more clearly, the pain around the joint starting to cause her mind to clear. Ichigo scowled, and sat her on the edge of the bath. Rukia watched him cautiously, swallowing the lump in her throat as he undid the fastening on her sling, supporting her arm with one of his large, strong hands.

The black piece to fabric fell to the tiled wash area's floor with a dull thud and Rukia's fingers stretched and clenched to get the blood flowing back into her arm. Ichigo's fingertips began to roll down the bandage sleeve that covered her arm, and Rukia felt her stomach flutter when the digits brushed against her skin. Nervously, she started to shift away from him slightly, looking away from his look of intense concentration as he removed the sleeve. He replaced the wet sling with the clean dry one, and then moved away from her. Rukia faced him when she felt him moving, only to have a large white bath blanket cover her head. She squeaked in surprise, while Ichigo draped it over her head and shoulders, until only her face was visible.

"You can handle this from here, right?" he nodded, and Rukia flushed, replying 'hai' quietly. Ichigo turned to leave, but paused, looking at her. "Are you hungry? I can make some dinner," he suggested. Rukia blinked at him, before smirking and raising an eyebrow, her sarcastic nature returning full force.

"You can cook?" she questioned, sceptical of this suggestion. She herself wasn't the best chef in the world (once she burnt water...), but the idea that Ichigo could was laugh-worthy. He didn't look at all like someone who would be able to cook. Ichigo glowered at her.

"Of course I can cook. I'm twenty-four, you know. Not exactly a child," he replied in return, not nearly as offended as he acted. He just liked to rile her up. Rukia narrowed her eyes at the double-sided statement. He was insulting both her age and her cooking skills.

"Really? Not a child? Could have fooled me with the way you acted in the Shoten. I didn't know adults snatched little children from teenage girls," Rukia bit back, and Ichigo growled. He should have known that was going to come up sooner or later. Rukia stood from the edge of the furo. "If you can cook, I wouldn't mind some chicken curry and rice," she flipped her hand at him, as she strolled past him. She looked up at him, a playful smirk on her lips. "You think you can handle that, Kurosaki?"

"Of course I can, Kuchiki," he replied, and she froze, the playful look on her face melting into one of pure fear. She stumbled backwards, her violet eyes wide and terrified, gaping at him. Ichigo watched her, the way she reacted with interest. She questioned him, her words coming in shocked and scared stutters. "On the news... there was a story about your brother, Byakuya. He was shot," Ichigo told her. Rukia's heart literally missed three beats as, even though it was almost impossible, she went paler to a ghostly white.

Her Niisama... The man who had looked after her all her life, even before their parents died. The man, who when she was six and he was ten, used to give her piggybacks under the sakura blossoms just to make her happy. A lot of people thought he was a cold, impassive person to all around him, but Rukia and Hisana had always known him to be secretly a big softy who would do anything to protect them. The apathetic, arrogant manner he had was only used around business associates, employees and those he perceives below him. _Anyone other than Megumi-sama, Hisana and Rukia..._

"Rukia, he's alive. He's in the hospital. It only happened today, and he was found pretty soon after," he informed her. Rukia breathed heavily and rapidly, panic and dread. Ichigo could see already that she was starting to hyperventilate, and shook her gently. "Calm down, alright. You'd know if something was wrong, wouldn't you? You Neesan or Megumi-sama would have told you, right?" he insisted. Rukia nodded rapidly, breathing in short gasps, gulping up air.

_He was right. He had to be right. It was good that Hisana-nee hadn't called her. It meant Byakuya-niisama was still alive. _It was like a running ramble of thoughts running through her head, never ending and assuring her Ichigo was right, trying to convince her he was telling the truth._ He had to be... He had to be right... _

"Calm down, Kuchiki," Ichigo's voice broke through her thoughts, and she felt two palms on her cheeks. She froze when the slightly hardened, callous skin covered her soft, rosy cheeks, and gazed up into Ichigo's amber irises, her lips parted. Ichigo looked deadly serious, worry etched in his eyes. "Calm down. Byakuya wouldn't want you losing your head, or putting your cover at risk over this. He is trying to protect you, so don't let this draw you out."

"Wha- how... how did you know? No one else knows.. No one else found out... How did you figure it out..." she stammered. Ichigo smirked, and shook his head at her.

"Honestly? It's so obvious I feel like an idiot for not realising it until I saw the picture of you with your family on the news. In your Yamasaki uniform?" he said, and Rukia flushed. If there was one thing that embarrassed her, it was Yamasaki Girls Private Academy. The fact was that Girls Schools were actually very, very dirty. Girls became obsessed with boy's and sex-mad, yet at the same time total slobs and stopped taking care of themselves and cleaning up. Everything was out in the open. When she had first started at her new school in Karakura, and she had gotten her period without realising it, she had automatically asked the person sitting next to her if they had a pad she could use. It had been mortifying, because the girls all whispered and the guy she had asked had fell out of his chair.

It was strange, adjusting from the open, freely talking world of a Girls Academy, to the closed off, hidden world of a Mixed High-school.

"I don't get how no one else could realise who you are. They must be blind, or stupid," Ichigo joked, and Rukia glared at him. Her Niisama had gone to a lot of trouble to make sure that no one would realise who she was. Even so far as keeping everything about her out of the media for nearly all her life, sending her to a town where she knew no one and was over a hundred miles away from Tokyo. It was that small a town that the Kuchiki's had yet to invade it with their 'business' and Rukia had actually enjoyed the fact that no one knew her. _That no one was scared of her..._

"Byakuya-Niisama made every effort to ensure both my Neesan and I were kept out of the public eye. Very few students at my school are likely to watch the news and those who do are not in contact with me often, trust me," Rukia said, and she couldn't help but roll her eyes. Momo was too much of a ditz to watch the news, Nanao didn't have time to watch it, Yumichika was always shopping and missed it, Hisagi was 'to cool' to watch something like the news and Ikkaku only cared about the different wars not politics and rich people.

Rukia bit her lip, and Ichigo realised that he was still holding her cheeks. His hands quickly dropped to his sides and he stood up straight, staring down at her casually as if he hadn't been cupping her cheeks two moments ago. "Look, Ichigo, you can't tell anyone. Anyone, understand? If it got out about me, and Shiro... it would ruin my family name. I can't let that happen. Please, please, keep it a secret. Don't tell anyone," she was ashamed to say she begged. As a Kuchiki, she was raised never to let anyoen hold any power over her, yet she was just giving it up to make sure Ichigo kept his mouth shut about her true life.

"I wasn't going to, Kuchiki," Ichigo said, snidily and Rukia flushed. "Like you said, right? It's your problem, not mine. If you wanted to tell people, you would," Ichigo shrugged off her worries, and Rukia felt her stomach flutter slightly at the way the light above his head illuminated his tanned skin, creating shadows from the taught muscles and revealing his six-pack in panfully sharp lines. She swallowed, and lowered her eyes from him.

"I... I'm going to go get dressed. Clean up this mess, Baka," she ordered feebly, and Ichigo chuckled as she turned on her heel and stalked out the bathroom. When she had left him alone though, a scowl fell onto his features. Somehow after only knowing Rukia for one and a half days, and two nights, she had managed to make him smile more than he had during his entire teenage life.

He was so glad that he was leaving the next day.

**XoXoX**

"I do believe we have a problem, Ukitake-sama," Isshin drawled as he blew out rings of smoke from his mouth. He sat at a round table, wearing a black shihakusho like the other eight men and two woman there. They all wore a white haori over it, each with a different style. Each of them played a part in the Kuchiki's life at one point, and some still did. The long, white haired man coughed slightly waving his pale hand in front of his face to disperse the cloud of smoke. A pained smile was on his face. Isshin rolled his eyes, but stubbed out his cigarette in the ash tray in front of him.

"I assume you are referring to the shooting of Kuchiki-dono," the ever drunk Kyoraku Shunsui said from his spot on the right of Ukitake. To the right of Kyoraku sat Kaien Shiba, then in an anti-clockwise direction was Kensei Muguruma, Urahara Kisuke, Yoruichi Shihoin, Kenpachi Zaraki, Unohana-Kenpachi Retsu, Ryuken Ishida and then finally back to Isshin, who had Ukitake Juushiro on his right. Kensei grumbled, crossign his arms over his chest and putting his booted feet on the table. Flecks of dirt from the bottom fell onto the desk.

"Can we make this quick? I have thing's I gotta do," he bellyached with a bored look on his face. His haori and shihakusho were sleeveless, and he had on black fingerless gloves as well. The legs of his shihakusho were tucked into his boots, and he had several piercing in his ear and in his eyebrow, his silver hair cropped short. His shihakusho hung open, revealing a '69' tattoo on the centre of his stomach over packed abs. Yoruichi chuckled across from him, a dirty look on her face.

"Yeah, like Mashiro," she snickered, flipping her long, purple haired ponytail over her shoulder. She smirked at Kensei who growled at her in response. Her shihakusho was a halter-neck, sleeveless and backless, with a beige sash around her waist. Long black wrist guards covered her arms, and her haori was lined with orange and long-sleeved. Her golden eyes flashed with humour, despite the seriousness of the meeting they were attending. Her feet were bare as she rested her elbows on her knees, and her toes on the edge of the table.

"Can we please not stray from the meetings subject, Yoruichi-sama, Mugurama-sama," the soft, gentle voice of Retsu requested, the woman's face having morphed into a stern, polite 'Do-as-I-say' expression. Yoruichi chuckled nervously, while all the other males sweat dropped and turned away from Retsu with nervous, sheepish expressions. The woman was dressed primly and cleanly, her long black hair braided down her front, hands tucked into her white haori sleeves, and and obi belting her shihakusho rather than a plain white sash.

"H-hai, Kenpachi-Unohana-sama," Kensei mumbled. No one could ever argue with Retsu Unohana-Kenpachi. She commanded respect from all around her, including her bloodthirsty husband, who sat next to her, a gruff smirk on his face as he admired his woman. In stark opposition to her, Kenpachi Zaraki looked fierce and rugged, a long scar running down his face, and a black eye patch over his right eye. His black hair was stiff, and set in spikes with small bells at the tips. His haori was torn at the sleeves and the hem, while his shihakusho hung open revealing bandages and scars underneath.

"Thank you, Mugurama-sama. Now, Kurosaki-sama, will you please inform us of the problem you believe we have?" she questioned pleasantly, and Isshin gave her a large, goofy smile in return. The midnight blue eyed woman stared back at him politely and serenely. Everyone was in silence as they waited for him to speak, and when he said nothing, Retsu closed her eyes and gave him a sharp, yet graceful look. "You have the floor, Kurosaki-sama. Please explain yourself."

"Hai, sumimasen... So. It seems that Byakuya-bo has been shot. Just like something that prick would do. Unfortunately, we have no idea who it was who shot him as they managed to get past Kenpachi's men, and Yoruichi's secret service and of course, we can't forget Kensei's kami-damned reporters," Isshin snarled the last part, glaring at Kensei as if it was his fault. Then, he chuckled humourlessly. Each person at the table had a specific job to carry out within the Kuchiki enterprise.

Kensei was in charge of keeping the Kuchiki family out of the media, and had a constant team of reporters on his payroll who published only what they were told to about the Kuchiki family. Yoruichi was in chage of the secret tactics , Onmitsukido. They were like the undercover, secret service to the Kuchiki Enterprises. They dealt with any 'jobs' that needed to be done, and conducted any surveillance of enemies to the Kuchiki Enterprise. They were the secret guards of the Kuchiki family, unlike Kenpachi's men, who were the known body-guards for the family members in the organisation. He recruited only the biggest, most bloodthirsty men he could find to do this job.

Retsu and Ryuken had the same sort of position, while Retsu was the families official doctor and medical practitioner, Ryuken was the owner of the hospital that the Kuchiki family were always treated in, and the source of all their supplies, medical related or not. Retsu had a group of trained nurses on her side to help and lived on-site at the Kuchiki manor in case of any emergencies, with Kenpachi and their daughter Yachiru.

Urahara was a sneaky bastard, as all those he knew him where well aware, but also incredibly smart as he headed the research and science part of the Kuchiki Enterprise. He came up with all sorts of weapons and mechanics that aided the Kuchiki Enterprise and the Onmitsukido in their 'jobs'. Also, he enjoyed to cook up little experiments, and owned the Shoten that Rukia so conveniently worked at. Ukitake produced the organisation's paperwork and calculations with finance etc., Shunsui was in charge of the cataloguing of every file and piece of paper that came from Ukitake's department.

Isshin... well he just happened to have been in the Kuchiki Enterprises for a while and managed to get a high position job as their boss. He had left for about ten years, after Masaki passed, but was dragged back in when he was asked to take in Rukia and Shiro nine months before hand.

"Don't blame my people for this crap, Kurosaki. We were busy keeping the chibi-hime out of the public eye. You wouldn't believe the amount of crap I have Hisagi dealing with at that bloody school, the amount of brat's we have had to pay off because of her," Kensei rolled his eyes, and Isshin sighed, shaking his head.

"Yes... it is rather bothersome. I have so much paperwork that needs to be processed, and all this lying is rather detrimental to my health," Ukitake sighed. It was true. Nearly all of the people around the table were lying to Rukia. Each of them had been placed into her life because of Byakuya, even if it was by mere coincidence in Ukitake's sake.

Kenpachi was undercover in her school as their P.E teacher, as Rukia had never met him, only the bodyguards he assigned to her. While Unohana was the Kuchiki family doctor, Ryuken had become her official doctor in Karakura if there was a situation that wasn't able to be handled by Isshin. Urahara was her boss, and Yoruichi was her school's guidance counsellor. Even Rukia's friends, Ikkaku, Hisagi and Yumichika... they were all aware of who she was, and were in place to protect her without her knowing. Ukitake had befriended her when she had become nakama with Momo. They had all infiltrated her life, been set up without the poor teenage girl even realising it.

"Yes, well... we have another problem, aside from that. Something far more important, and far more dangerous for our lovely, kawaii chibi-hime and my darling grandson," Isshin waved his hand carelessly, ignoring the ill man's plight. All heads turned to him, eyes curious and watching him. A grim, seriousness overcame the room at his expression, tension filling the air of the small, candle-lit room.

"Aizen is back."

Retsu gasped, her hand going to her mouth in surprise, while Kenpachi scowled darkly, placing his large, scarred right hand on Retsu's shoulder. Despite the image he projected, his wife and daughter where the most important things in his life, and last time that dick Aizen had been around... He growled, his eye narrowing and his left hand clenched. _He was going to kill that fucker this time_. Ukitake silently frowned, remembering the pain Aizen had caused his family and even more, his wife.

As if shocked from his drunken stupor, Kyoraku mumbled to himself, his face shadowed by the rim of his large straw hat. It had been difficult to say the least getting rid of Aizen the first time - _it had really cut into his drinking time_ - having to do it all over again was going to be near impossible. Kaien expression clouded up as his eyes flicked around the table around the table. Yoruichi was glaring at the table, occupied by her thoughts, and in an odd display of unwarranted emotion, Urahara was holding her hand silently, his own face covered by his fan, face also shadowed by his bucket hat. Kensei just looked angry, furious even, seemingly ready to go into battle instantly, pacing the floor. Ryuken sat silently, head bowed, fist clenched on the table. He was the only one of the group who wore a completely white shihakusho, with a haori that had a blue cross on the back.

Kaien himself was unaware of the big deal. He had heard about Aizen, who at the Kuchiki Enterprise hadn't, but he had only just got a position around the table after the legendary Ginrei Kuchiki had taken his retirement. He had only been a subordinate of Ukitake until now, despite having a high position. His eyes landed on his older brother, the Kurosaki frowning to himself as his brown eyes met with Kaien's aqua blue ones. The eldest of the Shiba siblings, Isshin was forty-five years old, whereas Kaien was thirty-eight, Kukaku, their hot-headed sister, was thirty and Ganju, the youngest, was twenty-six. Only Kaien and Isshin had family besides the main set of siblings.

"Where is he? Have we got someone trackin' him? Tell me that he isn't jus' runnin' around without anyone watchin' his arse!" Kensei demanded, slamming his palms down onto the table furiously, anger radiating off him in waves. Isshin glared at him, as if Kensei's accusations where directed at him personally.

"Gin is with him, Mugurama. You know that he's been undercover for the last eighteen years years to bring that prick to justice," Yoruichi said sharply. Ukitake darkened at the name of his wife's previous friend and lover. It had damn near broke her heart when Gin had gone over to Aizen's side. She couldn't have known he was going undercover, only the people around the table knew. It was actually what bought the two of them together. Rangiku had been miserable, lost and scared, a shadow of herself, and he had been desperate to make her happy again wanting to see her smile.

She had been twenty, and he had been thirty. They had gotten married a year later, and had Momo the following year after.

"Yeah, and look what fuckin' good it's done us! That fuckin' prick has gotten out! He's loose!" Kensei argued. Yoruichi shot up to her feet, standing on the table and leaning over to continue arguing, when Isshin stood, eyes flashing dangerously, stance rigid. All eyes went to him.

"Enough! We don't have time to argue among ourselves, not with Aizen free. We need to get him. Before he can get to Rukia and Shiro," Isshin cut through the argument. He looked at them both with a black look, and it sent shivers down Kaien's spine. Yoruichi just looked irritated however, and Kensei nearly roared at him in anger. "Kensei, I want you keeping this out of the papers. We don't need unnecessary people becoming worried, and we don't want our little chibi-hime getting wind of it. She'll run faster than a cheetah to get out of Japan."

Kensei grumbled, but nodded, flopping down into his seat as he cursed the fact he wasn't going to be able to see Mashiro that night. Yoruichi settled back down in her seat, her expression cat-like and smug. Isshin turned to her.

"I want you to get any agents you can out in the field and searching for him, Yoruichi," Isshin stated, and she huffed, nodding, before a predatory grin fell onto her lips. Isshin decided he would rather not know what she was thinking, as she whispered to Urahara, and faced Kenpachi. "I'm going to need more men of yours on Byakuya-bo, Komi-chan, Hisana-chan and around Karakura. I don't care who you pick, as long as they can protect them and you trust them."

"Che, that bastard won't know what hit him if he comes after those kids," Kenpachi grumbled, and Isshin chuckled, shaking his head, yet approving of Kenpachi's methods and words. The forty-five year old man looked over his friends, his comrades and sighed. If he had a choice, he would have no part in it. Any of it. But he didn't have a choice. Rukia was his responsibility and he was going to protect was like a daughter to him.

"Everyone else is to return to their posts," he stated, and they all gave their acceptance of their orders, standing to leave and slowly filing out the room. Isshin placed a hand on Kaien's shoulder to stop him leaving. "Apart from you, Kaien-otouto. I need you to come with me."

Kaien scowled. What was his Oniisan asking? "Why?"

"Because I'm going to need your help in Karakura. With Ichigo."


End file.
